A Wilted Rose Still Has Thorns
by DestinyChangers
Summary: Team RWBY has finally graduated and become full fledged hunters only for everything to fall apart. Three years later after their leader's death, a mysterious figure shows up almost killing Weiss Schnee. Who is she? Who does she work for? and What is her connection to the remaining members of Team RWBY.
1. 1

The pale light of the moon cut through the night's shadow as the cool air effortlessly blew through my hair. I peered from the shadows concealing me from the world. The vibrations of footsteps to me left alerting me to another's presence. Lifting my rifle I placed my finger on the trigger ready to fire.

"Ruby, be ready to move. I'll be there in a moment!" I lowered my rifle and stepped out from the shadows as the familiar sight of blonde hair rounded the corner. Yang jumped ready to throw a fist at me but stopped her punch just a few inches from my head. "Holy shit Ruby, don't do that. I mean Blake does it all the time but you, damn the kitty cat has really rubbed off on you!" I folded Crescent Rose back into its compact form and slid it into its holster.

"Ya well we have been teammates for four years, so eventually something would. At least it wasn't your ability to go drink for drink with Qrow till you both passed out!"

Yang smiled remembering the night of her 21st birthday two months ago. Tai, their father was shocked when she had downed enough alcohol to make her Uncle Qrow look like a lightweight. The next morning had been hell for her but she said it was worth it. "Hey, that was a fun night and if I remember correctly you had quite the hangover."

I shrugged as I crouched down leaning over the roof looking down into the alley. "Ya, when you say you're a 4th-year team from Beacon most people believe that you're 21, not 19." Yang chuckled to herself again somehow not alerting the guard standing in the alley below.

"Ya well, the youngest leader in Beacon history does know how to party! I mean even Blake can be a party animal."

I gave Yang a light shove at the terrible pun as I slid a small Tanto from a holster on my thigh. I had adopted Thorn during my third year after realizing I needed a more close up and stealthier option than Crescent Rose. Yang followed my actions and slid Ember Celica over her own hands. After losing one of the gauntlets during the fall a few years ago along with her arm Yang had decided to rebuild the beloved shotgun gauntlets and give them an upgrade.

Ember Celica began extending over Yang's hands and sliding up her arm. The small bracelets soon covered her entire lower arm in plate armor. Unlike her old gauntlets, the upgrade covered her fingers in plated metal that ended in a pair of sharp claws. A small barrel poked out above the wrist ready to unleash explosive shotgun rounds into her foes. "Ruby, Blake, and Weiss said they are ready to move on our signal. You Ready?"

I nodded and jumped over the edge of the roof Falling quickly activating my aura landing without a sound behind the guard. With a single motion I shoved Thorn's blade into the man's arm making him drop his gun and wrapped my hand around the man's mouth stopping his cries before it could be heard. As he struggled in my arms I pulled tight cutting off his air supply and held tight waiting for him to pass out. After a minute he fell silent and no longer moved. Moving quickly I dragged the unconscious guard through the alley deposited him into the shadows.

Two sets of almost perfectly silent footsteps fell behind me. Even without turning around I knew there was a third among the two. "Yang Weiss I want you ready to incapacitate anybody who comes up from behind. Blake do what you're good at, stick to the shadows and scout out ahead. If you can take guards out on the way do so, but don't take unneeded risks." I walked up to the large metal door to the building and knocked on the door. A pair of green eyes peered through the slit. "What you want?" I gave the man a smile before slamming the hilt of Thorn into the man's nose knocking him unconscious. "Blake pick this lock!" Blake stepped past Yang and pulled a device from clicked a button. A small rectangle piece of metal coming out the end. Blake placed the piece of metal in the door and clicked a button on the side of the device, with a quick whirring of gear the door popped open. "Ok, we're good to go!

All four of us stepped inside Weiss guarding the rear in case someone came up behind. The guard I'd knocked out laid unconscious on the floor with blood pouring from his broken nose. "Yang hide him in the corner, I don't want to trip over him if we need to make a quick getaway!" Yang nodded as she moved the man I moved my gaze over to Blake's and gave her a small nod. Blake understood and crept past me moving through the shadows like an assassin.

I touched the comm on my ear and began speaking. "Blake head toward the east side of the building and clear us a path. We will hang back for a minute before following. Oobleck said the stolen device should be in the east vault. If it comes down to it the three of us will cause a distraction and you'll retrieve the item." Three different beeps echoed from my comm giving me the signal all three understood the plan.

I waved my hand behind me and motioned to move forward following the same route Blake took. Every few feet was a door on the pristine white hallway. As we turned the corner I spotted a guard sitting in the chair. I held up Crescent Rose in its rifle form with a suppressor attached to the barrel. I aimed at the guard but then lowered my rifle. Blake had knocked the man unconscious and put him in the chair so it looked like he was sleeping.

We continued forward finding spot's where guards had been and somewhere they were lying unconscious. Blake's was clearly at her peak skill point as no one stood in her way. Eventually, I spotted Blake hiding in the shadow of a corner the only give away was her amber eyes. "I'm gonna need a distraction to lure the guards away from the vault. There are too many to deal with!"

"Weiss and Yang head back to the entrance, Plant a timed explosive glyph set to go off in five minutes. Yang beat down anybody in your path. Head towards the subway entrance we'll meet up there and escape using the side tunnels!" Yang and Weiss didn't say anything but turned around ready to execute the plan. "Blake we'll stay hidden and wait for as many of the guards to leave than deal with the remaining. We need the vault open as quickly as possible. Can you do it?"

Blake grabbed the handle of Gambol shroud and pulled the serrated katana blade out of the bladed sheath and pulled back the slide on the pistol. Blake actions clearing gave her answers as I checked to make sure both my weapons were ready. I stood up from my position next to Blake and used my semblance to move to a shadowed corner. From any other point of view, it would have looked like I'd teleported to the corner but the truth was I moved so quickly that there wasn't even an after image.

After five minutes of waiting, I looked at the watch attached to my wrist waiting for the decoy. A few seconds after the five minutes were up an explosion rocked the entire building, alarms began to go off and red lights flashed in the hallway. A few guards ran out of the room Blake and I waited to enter yelling about a breach at the main entrance. Once they had passed, Blake peered around the corner before leaning back.

Blake held up three fingers indicating three guards remained. A few hand motions told me two were standing next to the vault while the other was in the middle of the room facing the others. I indicated I would take the far right while she took the other two. Black nodded in agreement and held up three fingers.

"3"

"2"

"1"

With a flash of movement, Blake jumped into the room and threw Gambol Shroud in kusarigama form. The blunt of the weapon slammed into the guard's head with an audible crack. The other two guards were quickly dealt with before they raised their weapons. One took Blake's heel to the skull while the other was hit by an electric dust round from Crescent Rose. "Blake open the Vault I got the door!" Blake moved past and over to the large rectangle metal door. Inside was the deice the White Fang had stolen and it was the one objective required to pass our test and become full-fledged huntresses.

Blake stepped towards the door and dropped a small bag she had hooked to her waist and began to pull different tools out. "Blake, how long is this going to take?" I peered down the hallway and spotted a guard rushing down the hallway. I transformed Crescent Rose into its high impact rifle form and shot the man in the knee. The round hit the man hard enough to shatter his aura and kick him from his feet. He fell forwards and slammed into the ground knocking him out. In a few hours he would wake up with a concussion and a shattered knee, but at least he would live.

"Blake more will be coming, how much longer?" Blake didn't move from her spot as she continued to try and get the door open. "Give me thirty more seconds!" I peered back around the corner and dispatched another guard then his companion who leaned around the corner at the end of the hallway and tried to take a shot at me. "BLAKE!"

"I'm in!" Blake stepped back as the large door swung open revealing a small room lined with shelves and containers. Inside these boxes was enough lien to buy a small army and enough pure dust to arm them for years. A few weapons were displayed on the shelves but the one that stuck out was a gray-colored blade, with a luminous green power symbol at the center of the bronze-colored hilt.

Anger welled up inside me as I grabbed the blade and clicked a button allowing it to fold into a smaller form. "Ruby was that what I think it was." I held the blade out before placing it into one of my pockets. "Yes it was, did you find the device?" Blake held up a small box with a symbol on the side similar to a Celtic knot. "Good, let's go?"

Blake and I stepped out of the vault and were immediately came face to face with a very unfriendly face. The face of the very person responsible for stealing my sister's arm and causing her so much pain. "Hello my darling, I would ask that you give that back but it seems you won't do so without a fight, will you?" Adam Taurus was one of the highest ranking fighters in the White Fang and Blake's mentor. Adam's hand came to rest on the hilt of sword wilt ready to be pulled from his shotgun sheath Blush.

Adam smirked as Blake took a step back with a smirk on her own face. "Oh Adam dear, I'm not the one you should worry about!" Adam looked confused but quickly twirled around and received a shotgun gauntlet to the face that launched him through the open vault door. "That was for the arm you stupid fuck." Adam stood up and stepped out of the vault a crack forming along his mask. "Hello Goldilocks didn't expect you to show up." Yang smiled and took a step forward match Adam's speed.

Adam gripped Wilt's handle and brought it out with a horizontal attack aimed at Yang's gut slashing with enough speed to leave an afterimage of the crimson blade. Metal sparked as crimson steel met yellow titanium. Adam tried to pull his blade back and prepare for another strike but Yang had other ideas and curled her armored fingers around Wilt's blade holding it in place with her herculean strength. "Oh I'm sorry, is this yours?"

Adam grabbed Blush with his free hand and unloaded a round point blank into her chest. The pure of the shot ripped the two away from each other. Yang let go of Wilt and held up Ember Celica and deflected two more shot from Adam. Adam growled and placed Wilt back into his sheath and took a stance crouched low ready to pull the blade out in a crimson flash. The Iaido form of fighting was impressive but only if one had the speed and accuracy to do so.

Yang cocked a grin as she took a boxer's stance bouncing around on her feet. "Oh is the big bad bull seeing red?" Adam lunged forward aiming for Yang's unprotected legs but his blade bounced of metal once again. Adam jumped back with a confused look knowing he had hit the unprotected flesh of Yang's shin.

Yang flashed a smile as Adam looked down to where Wilt should have cut flesh Adam's eyes met the yellow color of metal grieves on her legs. "Didn't expect that did you, Adam?" Yang laughed as she gave a quick kick towards Adam launching an explosive shotgun round from the greave. "It's funny because I got this idea from your boss's little boy toy. So Adam if you would say hello to Ember Stella." Adam stepped back as the three of us watched Yang jump into a kickboxing stance. This was a fight Yang had been waiting a long time for. If any of us stepped in it would not end well.

Adam scoffed at Yang looking towards the greaves. "How about we end this here and now. I still need to deal with the Heiress, My little love, and your little sister!" If anybody knew Yang there were certain things you didn't do, one was not to touch her hair, the other was to never ever threaten her family. "What did you say!" Adam smiled wickedly not knowing how much danger he was in. "I said I'm going to kill you, The Schnee, My Love, and Your Little Sister. Then I will go to Beacon and…."

Adam didn't get to finish his sentence as Yang slammed an armored fist into his skull and then a shotgun propelled kick into his side. Adam's ribs broke under the pressure of the impact and had his aura shattered by the flames that radiated from Yang's body. To everyone else, she looked like somebody had doused her in gasoline and lit her on fire. This was Yang's most powerful form. Nothing could stop her unless either her aura ran out or she was knocked unconscious.

Adam stood up gripping his chest as he coughed blood up coating his lower lip in the same color as his blade. "You will pay for that you stupid BITCH!" Adam had succumbed to his rage as he lashed out at Yang with Wilt and fired Blush. Yang held up her hands absorbing the impact of each weapons attack taking a step back keeping her from stumbling from the force of the attack. Eventually, Blush ran out of ammo leaving Adam with just Wilt.

This time it was Adam's turn to go on the defensive as Yang fired a flurry of shotgun propelled kicks at him. Wilt began to glow red as each attack that couldn't be dodged was blocked and absorbed by Wilt. Adam's semblance took effect preparing to change Yang's flurry of attacks into one unstoppable attack, the same attack that had cost Yang her arm. Adam held the blade at his waist as he swung it towards Yang shouting as he put all he could into the swing. "I took your arm once, NOW I TAKE YOUR HEAD."

Adam's blow sliced the air as it lashed out with a red flash destroying the wall where Yang had been. Adam turned away from Yang and flicked his wrist to remove the blood from the sword. The sounds of blood drops hitting the floor never came as he turned to face the newly created corpse. Yang stood before Adam in the same condition as she had been before. "Torro, Torro!"

Adam was taken back that his attack missed. HE NEVER MISSED! "Oh come on Adam your trick worked on me once and like you said it cost me my arm. but did you really think I'd fall for it again." Adam was too enraged to speak, the only thing he could do was fight. Adam lunged forward Wilt ready to pierce Yang's heart.

Once again Yang simply moved out of the way but this time her metal hand clasped around Adam's arm with a sickening crunch. The bones inside of Adam's arm were no match for the strength of Yang's prosthetic and turned to powder as she squeezed on it. Adam screamed in pain as he dropped Wilt and cradled is unusable arm to his chest. Yang ended the man's screams with a kick to the head knocking him out. "Just remember if I see you again I'll do the same to your other arm and both your legs. You don't deserve to die."

None of us spoke as Yang stepped past Adam's body and picked up Wilt and Blush. With a quick blast from her gauntlet, both weapons were left unrepairable. Yang dropped the weapons and let out a sigh as a single tear rolled down her cheek. With a quick wipe, Yang removed all signs of the tear. "Ruby, did we get what we came for?" I gave Yang a nod knowing she'd just gotten the revenge she's wanted for the past two and a half years. "Good, so how about we get out of this hell hole."

None of us said anything but followed as I stepped out into the hallway heading towards the train tunnels. What worried me as we ran was that the entire way we didn't see a single guard. Sure Yang and Weiss took out a good number but this was no small building. I stepped down a flight of stairs at the end of a long hall. Once I was down I waved the others down and crept up to where two hallways met. If we took a right then we would head straight into the train tunnel.

I picked up the noise of movement around the corner. I motioned for the other to wait as I leaned around the corner to see what we were up against. The second my head snapped around the corner I pulled back as a fire dust infused round passed through where my head had been. "Looks like we found the rest of the White Fang." Blake, Yang and I check our clips and Weiss spun Myrtenasters cylinder landing it on ice dust."Weiss can you give us some cover so that Yang and I can flank them.

"I don't like the idea of sticking my head out so that the White Fang can shoot at me, but I guess there's no way around it. Weiss activated her semblance and summoned a handful of defense glyphs in front of her and stepped out around the corner. The White Fang immediately opened fire on Weiss who was only saved by her defense glyphs. Weiss paid no attention as the bullets bounced off her shield and deflected back at the attackers. Raising Myrtenaster Weiss pulled the trigger on its handle activating the ice dust in the weapon.

Ice shot across the floor and up the walls coating the hallway with ice. Pillars shot from the sheets of ice slamming into the White Fang soldiers either sending sprawling onto the crowd or knocking them unconscious. Many of the White Fang retreated down the hallway trying to get as far away from Weiss as possible.

"Blake are you ready?" Blake clipped her magazine into place and gave me a wink as she pulled back the slide. Geez, Yang has really rubbed off on you. "Ok let's get to it." Yang cracked her knuckles and followed behind me as I opened fire on the retreating White Fang. "Yang give me some smoke." Yang reacted instantly and unleashed a bombardment of fiery shotgun shells down the hallway. Each shot from Ember Celica landed on one of Weiss's ice pillars evaporating it instantly. The water vapor filled the hallway creating a smoke screen. "Blake you're up!"

It was Blake's turn to use her Faunus heritage to her advantage. The White Fang were too confused to do anything but fire into the smoke as Blake crept forward, Even if she couldn't see them she could definitely hear and smell them. the cry of grown men echoed through the hallways as our natural saboteur wreaked havoc. After a minute the gunfire died down and My comms beeped the all clear signal. "Blake's done shopping let's go."

Even though I'd grown in the past few years my voice still carried the childish ring it always had. "Dam Ruby that sounded creepy!" I smiled at Yang giving her the widest grin I could manage and stepped into the mist adding to the effect. As I stepped through the mist I tried not to stumble over the unconscious soldiers but it became harder as they soon covered almost the entire floor. Finally, when I reached the end of the hall I spotted Blake's silhouette. With a few more steps I cleared the fog enough to make out a cut running from the top up Blake's cheek down to just above her jaw. "Blake, you ok?"

"Ya just one of those bastards was playing possum and tried to stab." Blake leaned down and ripped a piece of fabric from one of the White Fang's coat and used it to wipe away some of the blood. "Blake you make it sound like you've gotten dull." Blake looked away from me as I gave her a wide mocking grin. "No Ruby I'm not getting dull, he was actually playing possum." Blake pointed her Gambol Shroud at one of the bodies. Poking out of the man's pants was possum tail. "Oh, you were serious!"

"Hey, where are the others." I gave Blake a confused glance before realizing she meant "Weiss and Yang. "Ohh There….Hey, you talking about us?" I quickly twirled around and came face to face with Yang as Weiss stood a step behind her. "No, we were just wondering what took you so long? Yang took a step back and spread her hands out towards all the unconscious body. "No offense but kind of a maze to make our way through this?" I gave a shrug and stepped forward offering no response to Yang's statement.

"Let's go, the hallway opens up ahead and joins together with the subway." We continued down the hallway till we rented a large room with a track running through the middle. Brick pillars held up the aged and decaying ceiling as we looked around. "Hey, Ruby wasn't there supposed to be a train here?" I looked around and realized there was no sign of anyone other than a few crates sitting in a corner. Yang jumped down onto the tracks and held her a hand above one. "The tracks are still warm. They must have left while we were clearing the upper floors."

"So the ones we fought were the ones who got left behind? That's kinda low even for the White Fang." It suddenly became clear why the White Fang had been so desperate to stop us. They had two options try and hide or fight In the end they chose the latter of the two options. A hand on my shoulder shook from my thoughts as I spun to look at who'd touched me.

My vision filled with stars as something made of metal crashed into my skull. The blow had knocked me to the ground and had cut through my aura like it was butter. I looked up towards my assailant and found it to be none other than the man Yang had beat the shit out of just a few minutes earlier. Adam dropped a glowing red pipe to the ground and held up a deadman trigger displaying it to all four of us. Yang moved to take a step towards Adam but stopped noticing the trigger.

"Ya, I don't think you want to do that. Personally, I never thought I'd have to blow up one of my own building while I was still in it, but if it takes out you pest then so be it!" Without a thought Adam clamped his hand down on the trigger arm the device, all he had to do was let go and every explosive connected would go off. "Oh and my love I suggest you not try and sneak up on the person who taught you everything you know, it's just too shameful." Adam looked disgusted as Blake stepped free from a pillar to Adams left, her shadow clone next to Yang disappearing.

"Adam don't do this, this is not what we worked for. We wanted equal rights, not this!" Tears streamed down Blake's face as she held Gambol Shroud and pointed the barrel directly at Adam. "Oh, my love look around. I've done more in the past four years than I ever did with you. We've made strides your father couldn't have hoped to reach." Adam held up the deadman trigger like a gun and pointed it at Blake mimicking her own stance.

"No Adam, what you've done is made the Humans fear us, and I won't let you do that anymore!" Without hesitation, Blake squeezed the trigger firing a round straight into Adam's heart. Blood flowed from the hole in his chest with every dying pump of his broken heart. With one final breathe Adam activated the deadman trigger.

Debris rained down from the ceiling as explosions rocked the building above us. Large sections of the ceiling crashed to the ground and sent pieces of concrete out like shrapnel. I shakily got to my feet and grabbed Crescent Rose from where it had fallen on the ground. I reached out and grabbed Blake's hand. "EVERYBODY RUN!"

The feeling of me tugging on Blake's arm was enough to break her from her trance as I dragged her down the still-collapsing subway tunnel. Yang and Weiss were about twenty feet ahead of us, Yang was destroying falling debris with a single blast from her weapons while Weiss was using gravity dust to slow the collapse of the tunnel.

Terror struck my heart as I looked at the ceiling a few feet in front of us. A large section had broken free between the four of us, if we didn't make it before it hit the ground we would be left to be crushed. Sadness gripped me very soul as I unfolded Crescent Rose and threw it in the way of the falling ceiling. Crescent Rose acted as a support beam holding up the ceiling. Pulling on Blake's arm I threw her forward under the debris as Crescent Rose's shaft began to bend and crack.

I activated my semblance and ran as fast as I could towards the small gap still open. Fear flooded my veins as Crescent Rose let out a groan right before shattering into dozens of pieces. Pain struck my leg as a piece of Crescent Rose's blade pierced my lower leg, slicing up from my calf all the way to the back of my knee. I fell the ground as the ceiling collapsed behind me. Tears streamed from my eyes as I watched my only escape path crumble before me.

Summoning all my strength I crawled across the ground and leaned up against the pile of debris next to a small opening barely large enough to fit a hand through. I looked through the hole and watched as my heart dropped. Blake was kneeling before the debris pile alone without Yang or Weiss in sight. "Blake you need to go!"

Blake's uncovered ears perked up from her head as she frantically looked around. I putt my hand through the hole hoping she might see it. I pulled my hand back as Blake jumped up and began digging through the debris trying to free me. "Blake stop, there is no time you need to go."

"No, I won't leave you! We are going to go back as a team Me, You Yang and Weiss, all of us." Blake dropped threw a piece of concrete behind her and began pulling on a larger piece of the pile causing it to shift. "Blake stop, it's too late just go." I looked down at my mangled leg and wished I could go with her but in my position, it wouldn't happen. "Blake I'm stuck, just take this and go!" I reached into my pouch and grabbed the object from the vault and pushed my hand through the hole. "No Ruby just let me get you out of there! I can..."

"No, Blake I'm bleeding to death and there is nothing you can do...I can't see you get hurt trying to save me….Please just go!" I looked through the hole and saw Blake amber eyes looking back at me. My heart lurched knowing this was going to be the last time I might see those eyes. "Please!" Blake stepped back on shaky legs as she looked through the slowly closing hole. "I'm coming back for you, just try...just try and hold on!"

Blake turned and quickly took off running as fast as she could, around me the rubble began to shift and drop fresh pieces of concrete around me. The area around me slowly began to grow smaller and smaller as I buried alive. I reached down to my belt and pulled off my too familiar rose emblem. Holding it in my hand I slowly closed my eyes as the last rays of light from the hole closed sealing my tomb.


	2. 2

Three Years Later

A single rose petal floated off the edge off the cliff as it fell into the forest below. The sun reflected off the snow illuminating the two graves that overlooked the vast forest of Patch. Mother and daughter resting side by side. The sun hung low in the sky casting the cliff with a bright orange.

"Yang I think we need to go. Team JNPR just got back and they're waiting for us with Weiss." I didn't dare step closer to Yang as she dropped a red and white rose on to each grave. Weiss and I had learned very quickly not to pressure Yang whenever she was thinking about Ruby.

Yang stepped back from the grave and pulled the hood of her jacket over her shoulder-length hair and stepped past me. I followed a few steps behind her and almost ran into her as she abruptly stopped. "Do you want to say anything to her? I haven't seen you visit her since the funeral." Yang didn't look to me but kept facing the waiting airship. "You know it would mean a lot to her?"

"I've already said what I wanted ...all I can do is ask for forgiveness." Yang, Weiss, and team JNPR had tried to convince me in the past that Ruby's death wasn't my fault but I was. I should have been faster, I should have killed Adam earlier, if only I was stronger.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity Yang started walking down toward the airship waiting in the clearing at the bottom of the hill. I let Yang gain some distance between us knowing she was upset. During the funeral, I tried to apologize to her for what happened and ended up receiving a punch to the jaw. After that, I learned to keep quiet.

Yang stepped into the bullhead before me and spoke to the pilot who immediately began to flip switches push button preparing the airship for flight. By the time I stepped in and sat down the bullhead was already starting to rise up of the trees surrounding the cliff then with a single movement the bullhead lurched forward heading straight for Beacon.

Beacon over the past six years Beacon had become what its name intended it to be. A beacon for all of humanity to look towards during time of darkness. After Beacon fell during the fall the Vale council had deemed it necessary to take back the academy using it as a symbol to push back against frequent attacks in Vale.

Hunters all across Remnant had shown up after Ozpin had sent out the council's declaration. No Grimm stood in their way and eventually after three days of fighting only one Grimm remained. This Grimm just happened to be the Dragon frozen to the top of the CCT tower. Four teams had gone up to kill the beast including Team JNPR and us. Out of the four teams only the two of us returned.

After the school had been cleared out Vale spent months renovating the defensive so that it could withstand any new threat. After a year Beacon finally reopened once again as one of the four Huntsman academies and as the new headquarters for Huntsman. With a headquarters, Huntsman now had a place to meet and plan strikes against the growing threats across Remnant. Cinders attack might have broken us but we healed and came back stronger.

As Yang and I stepped off the bullhead we immediately came upon the site of two of team JNPR's member walking toward us and the third sprinting toward us. With a quick sidestep, Nora ran past me and slammed head first into the side of the bullhead with a loud resonating crash. As I looked down at the overly vivacious redhead I swore I could see stars spinning around her head. "Hello, Nora how are you?"

Nora instantly recovered and pulled into a hug trying to squeeze the life from my body. "Oh, I'm doing great especially now that we're back and so are you guys."

It took all the strength in my body to pull myself away from Nora but eventually, her grip loosened as her eyes landed on Yang. Nora lunged at Yang but was immediately met with a stiff arm to the face and a resounding "aww" from Nora. At one time Yang would have met Nora with open arms and the two would have tried to squeeze the life out of one another. However things have changed, all of us had seen what the world could do and none of us liked what we saw.

Ruby's death had hit Yang the hardest, for weeks she locked herself away from the world and drank away her pain. Eventually, she had pulled herself out of her hole but immediately jumped into another. Yang had turned her sadness into anger and pointed it toward the White Fang. For months she went on a rampage and hunted down as many as she could all over Remnant. Her anger had been so powerful that she had almost single-handedly caused their collapse a year and a half ago.

After the fall of the White Fang Yang started to return slowly herself. Some days would be spent hanging with old friends from Beacon but other days her sorrow would rise and pull her back down. About six months ago Yang had finally hit median point, she was no longer the bubbly blonde she used to be but neither was she the cold heartless revenge seeker. She simply became a new Yang.

The one thing that had not changed though was Yang's fashion sense. Even while hunting down the White Fang she made sure she looked good while doing it. Her outfit had changed over the years but it always kept within certain parameters. Yang had taken to wearing a brown leather jacket with a grey hood over a yellow t-shirt. Her legs were adorned with a pair of calf-high brown boots. The only out of place on her entire body was two emblem set onto her jacket. On her left shoulder was the depiction of her emblem of a burning heart and on her left shoulder was Ruby's emblem of a burning rose.

Nora finally gave up trying to give Yang a hug and accepted defeat with a sad pout. "Oh come to one Yang I haven't seen you in forever." It was now Yang's turn to give up as she pulled Nora into a hug less powerful than mine had been but still filled with the same energy. "I missed you too Nora!"

Yang released Nora as she stepped back I took a chance to look at Nora. Nora's outfit had changed since the last time I'd seen her and to say it was similar to her other outfits wouldn't be far off. As usual, Nora had on a pink skirt that went down to mid-thigh and a pair of white stockings. She had on a sleeveless shirt that had a low cut showing off just the right amount of her plentiful cleavage. The biggest difference in her outfit was the added armor she wore. Nora had taken to wearing a pair of armored greaves and gauntlet. The final piece to tie it all together was an armored corset made of a polished metal.

"I told you Nora would be excited to see them." I spun towards the sound of the voice behind me and instantly came face to face with Ren and Jaune. I almost had to take a step back at the sight of Jaune as he had changed a large amount in the past three months. His outfit, on the other hand, had stayed the same as it had since after the fall. Jaune still wore his jeans and sweatshirt but his armor had been upgraded using the remains of Pyrrha's armor and weapons. His chest piece had become accented with a bronze edge and now extended to protect his gut and lower back. Additionally, he had a set of metal boots and gauntlets crafted increasing his armor. The biggest difference of all came to be his face, Jaune had recently adopted to wearing a short beard while he had been gone and if I do say it made him look quite dapper.

The last of the three was Ren and out of all three of them, he had basically stayed the same. He still wore his sleeveless green tailcoat and white pants. The only thing different was his hair. Ren had been growing out his hair since the fall and it now reached down to the small of his back.

"Isn't Nora almost always this excited though. She's been this way since the two of us have been children." I really didn't know how to respond to the two after so long. Both Ren and Nora had taken Ruby's death pretty hard but Jaune had the hardest time. After Pyrrha's death during the Fall, Jaune had been left in a hole similar to Yang but Ruby pulled him out and with help from us he began training harder and became an impressive leader and warrior.

When Jaune learned of Ruby's death he almost completely repeated what happened with Pyrrha only this time he had no one to help him and ended up turning to revenge. Jaune and Yang chose to team up and the two worked together to bring down the White Fang. After their collapse Jaune returned to his old self and took it upon himself to carry out Ruby's legacy and to help other just as Ruby had wanted. With the help of Nora and Ren, he was doing just that.

"So Blake how are you two, it's been a while." Ren had taken it upon himself to break the silence even as he looked over his shoulder towards his partner as she chatted away with Yang.

"It's been...interesting to say the least. Thanks to Weiss making changes in the SDC the Faunus rights group have slowly gained some leverage in making changes in other parts of the world so I haven't been spending as much time helping her."

"Blake I think what Ren meant was how are you two doing not how work was going." I immediately felt my cheeks blush after Jaune's comment. I'd always struggled with emotional interaction and the only one who had made much headway in that field had been Ruby but without her I'd crawled back into my shell.

"Oh, umm we're doing well. It's still pretty hard but spending time in Patch has helped us." It wasn't a lie though it was an awkward situation for me. Tai had taken Ruby's death as badly as everyone else and spent many nights at the bar but just like Yang, he pulled himself out.

"Well, that is good to hear. We cannot forget those we have lost but at the same time, we must also move forward. It is all we can do to honor their memories."

"Yes, that's true...So how was your mission Ozpin sent you on? Any leads?"

"No the entire trail was cold. Cinder hasn't been seen for months. When we went to Mistral and found where she had been holding out but when we got there it was completely abandoned. No leads to where she'd gone."

It was always hard to talk about Cinder especially after seeing how much she'd taken from us. After the Fall Cinder had completely disappeared but would occasionally pop up every month or two somewhere on Remnant. For years we've hunted her but haven't gotten anywhere close to catching her.

"What about those assassinations all across Vacuo have you looked into those. It can't be a coincidence that most of Cinder's past connections have been killed over the past two years. "

"No that was also a dead end. During each attack, all security footage was corrupted and every death is either a bullet to the head a decapitation or a sword through the chest. Other than the bodies nothing has ever been left behind not even a single bullet casing."

In the sky above us, the sky began to darken both as the sun began to disappear over the horizon and dark clouds slowly formed. The low rumble of thunder and the crack of lighting over the Emerald forest signaled the fast approaching storm.

"How about we head inside before the rain hits. Ozpin said your quarters had been left the same. Also, Weiss should be out of her meeting soon and I believe she will be excited to see you."

Jaune motioned to Yang and Nora to follow as I walked in step behind Ren. the idea of seeing Weiss was exciting but also nerve-racking. After Ruby died Weiss had taken up a position in the SDC then a year and a half ago had inherited the company when her father was forced to step down after publicly assaulting a Faunus.

Almost immediately after taking up her position, the SDC had started making major changes in their treatment of Faunus. The labor conditions for workers had been increased exponentially and all indentured servants had been released and hired as true workers. Towns around the mines had been built increasing living conditions. The largest change was the Faunus hired in the SDC could now rise to higher positions and even become board members. Those who had tried to oppose Weiss had lost their jobs almost overnight and been replaced with a mix of Faunus and Human willing to work together.

The change had been so dramatic that it had almost caused the company to fall apart and enter bankruptcy. However, the changes allowed Weiss to gain support from a majority of both Human and Faunus causing the company to come back stronger. All those who had opposed changes had been left behind without a chance to join the future.

These sudden changes also forced other companies to follow in the SDC footsteps. The media had immediately begun to pester other companies about making their own changes. One by one each company began to make changes and as the list of companies began to dwindle the media badgered the remaining companies to change even more. Almost overnight Weiss's single action had changed the world and Faunus rights. There were still racist bastards everywhere who mocked Faunus but for future generations of Faunus, the world was a little brighter.

Every time I stepped into the Vale CCT tower it always amazed me. After the CCt tower had been reclaimed Vale and Atlas worked hand in hand to rebuild it while also creating a memorial for all those who fell during the fall. The biggest thing was a statue in the middle of the atrium. It was a statue of the the CCT tower during the fall with a bright light emanating from the top. The only way to describe the light was a beacon for the future.

As we walked around the statue my eyes fell upon a very familiar figure. Talking to receptionist was the form of Glynda Goodwitch. To say the years had been kind to her would have been very close to the truth. Glynda looked identical to the day I came to Beacon and she still wore the same outfit. Glynda turned and faced use and took a step back bumping into the receptionist desk. "Oh, I did not expect you and Miss Xiao Long so soon. I thought you would be spending more time in Patch."

"Well we were but Weiss sent us a message saying that team JNPR was coming back and that she would also be here."

"Oh I see, well Ozpin and Miss Schnee just finished their meeting so she should be down soon. It was nice to see all of you, but I do have some work to do." Without another word, Glynda stepped past us and walked toward the CCT elevators and stepped inside one as it opened.

As Glynda stepped into an elevator the one adjacent opened up and a very familiar white-haired female stepped out. The last time Yang or I had seen Weiss was right before she and I had left to go to patch right after JNPR had left for their mission.

Whenever Weiss stepped onto Beacon's campus she always became relaxed and it was clear she was relaxed right now. Weiss was wearing a blue dress that started just above her knees and got lighter as it reached her neck before cutting off at the collarbone before running down to just below her elbow. It was both simple and elegant matching Weiss perfectly. The best thing was Weiss had adopted wearing her hair down instead of up in the ponytail like she had in the past.

It was a rare sight to see Weiss break her usual stoic form but when she did it was always when she was excited. Now just happened to be one of those times as she ran across the lobby similar to when Winter had shown up during her first year at Beacon.

"Blake Yang I didn't think you would be here soon?" Weiss stopped right in front of both Yang and I trying her best to control her excitement so she could uphold her status as the head of the SDC.

"Hello Weiss it's nice to see you...though it is weird to see you so excited." Weiss almost stopped as she looked around finding more than a few eyes looking at her and began to blush.

"Sorry, you know how I get whenever I come to Beacon and especially after seeing you after so long. You two mean more to me than my actual family, well other than Winter." Yang and Weiss shared a glance and each blushed for a moment before Yang chose to speak up.

"So Weiss what was so important other than team JNPR returning that we needed to meet. When we talked it seemed pretty important?"

"Ye well I was talking to Ozpin abo….." Weiss was suddenly cut off by the sound of glass shattering behind us.

"Holy Shit what was that?" I turned around and immediately saw the cause of glass breaking. Off in the distance atop a rooftop was a masked figure holding a rifle in their hand. Instincts took over as I dove behind cover as another round flew through where the window had been. The round slamming into the statue in the middle of the atrium blowing a large portion away causing it to fall apart.

I looked around trying to find where the others had taken cover. Jaune was next to me behind a receptionist desk while Ren and Nora had hidden behind the based of the statue. The only two I couldn't find where Weiss and Yang. Finally, my eyes fell on where we had been making my heart drop.

Yang was on the ground holding a limp Weiss in her arms. A large patch of blood was growing across Weiss's shoulder staining her dress a dark red. Yang was holding her trying her best to place pressure on the wound. The shooter was still on the other side of the courtyard atop one of the buildings aiming down the sights.

Knowing the shooter was trying to line up another shot I pulled out Gambol Shroud from my back and pulled back on its slide and began firing towards the shooter. None of my bullets came close to hitting them from this distance but I just needed to distract them so Yang could move Weiss to a safer location.

Jaune was the first to move as he jumped over the receptionist desk and pulled out his shield before jumping in the way as another bullet rocketed towards Yang and Weiss. The bullet smacked into Jaune's shield with enough force to knock to the ground.

"REN NORA I NEED COVER!" The two hiding behind the statue instantly made the move as Ren stepped out and began unloading a barrage of rounds toward the shooter. Nora didn't have the range to hit anything farther than 200m accurately though that didn't stop Nora from unloading her entire clip towards the target. Even though the grenades came nowhere close the blast kicked up smoke and dust creating a makeshift smokescreen blocking the shooter line of sight.

"Yang get Weiss out of here! I'm going after them." I didn't wait for a response and took after heading towards where the shooter had been. The cover Nora had given us was dissipating and if I didn't move quickly then my chance to surprise them would be ruined.

Once I was through the smoke I quickly threw Gambol Shroud in kusarigama form planting the blade onto the roof of the building. Running as quickly as I could I kicked off the ground and began running up the wall using Gambol Shroud's ribbon as a rope to help me climb. Just as I reached the top I summoned a shadow clone beneath me and pushed off it launching myself over the edge of the roof.

When I reached the top of the building it came as a surprise that the shooter had already bolted. There was no way they knew I was coming. I turned around trying to find any sign of where they had gone but came up empty-handed, not even a single shell casing had been left behind. To my left, the sound of metal scratching something was picked up thanks my Faunus hearing. Running over to the edge I quickly found the source of the noise. The shooter was using a black metal arm to slide down the side of the building.

I jumped off the side off the building following the shooter as they hitting the ground and took off towards the Emerald Forest. As I fell towards the ground I summoned my aura and focused into my legs as I impacted into the ground. Right after I hit the ground I took off after the shooter running as fast as I could.

Even as quick as the shooter was they were not quick enough to escape me. As they ran I was slowly closing the distance I needed to use Gambol Shroud. My chance finally came when the shooter stumbled on a rock. It wasn't enough to trip them but to screw up their pace.

Holding tight onto Gambol Shroud's ribbon I threw the gun while firing it causing it to go into a deadly spin. The shooter must have heard the blade coming at them and immediately sidestepped as the blade flew past. With a quick pull on the ribbon, Gambol Shroud fired again reversing its direction sending it back at the shooter. Just as the blade was about to hit the shooter a small blade intercepted it causing sparks to fly all around them.

Now that I'd stopped them from moving I could actually take a look at them. The shooter was close to Yang height and as I looked it became quite clear that they were indeed female. She was adorned in a pair of tight black pants and a black leather trench coat similar to the one Adam had worn. Under the trench coat was a fitted steel black cuirass with webs of red flowing across it. Dark red hair ran out from under the hood covering her face as she turned and faced me condensing her rifle down and placing it on her back.

As she finished turning she reached down pulling a sword from a sheath on her back. The blade was something different from others sitting just under three feet long, it came straight out curving downward then back up before ending in a sharp tip. There was no hand cross guard and the most interesting part was the handle, it was made out of bone. It took me a moment but I remembered someone from the White Fang who had a blade similarly shaped called a Yatagan.

Strange symbols burned red on the blade of the sword as it was pulled free and pointed at me. The shooter finally looked up removing the shadow of the hood concealing her face. Underneath the hood was an intricate metal mask made of flowers shaped into a skull covering the entire left of the shooters face and part of the right. The right side of her face looked to have once been porcelain white skin was now nothing more than red scar tissue. Where her eye had once been was instead a black metal patch placed into the skin.

The flash of steel in the corner of my eye pulled my eyes away from the shooters face as I jumped back away from her sword. I held up Gambol Shroud blocking the blade as it whizzed towards my head. I grabbed Gambol's sheath and swung it at the shooters exposed chest. Another clang of metal echoed as my attack was stopped. In her free hand was a broken tanto blade.

I jumped back going on the defensive as the shooter held both blades up. Something in the back of my head kept nagging about the broken blade. Another flash of steel came towards me as I knocked the attack away and used a shadow clone to block the small tanto blade as I spun slashing at her. A boot impacted into my back before I could land a hit. I pulled myself out from my tumble and backflipped away firing Gambol shroud at the shooter.

I spun towards the shooter but found her running for the edge of the cliff. I followed suit trying to close the distance. Just like before she was fast but I was still faster and quickly caught up stabbing forwards at the shooters spine. In a flash, the shooter shot away from me as specks of black fell to the ground.

The sudden movement caused me to stumble and fall to the ground and look up at the shooter as she stopped and turned. The sound of boots hitting metal caught my attention as she lifted up her foot and slammed it onto a piece of metal. In an instant, the platform had launched her soaring through the sky out of my sight.

I looked around frantically over the edge of the cliff for any sign but saw none. She had used the launch pads from initiation to escape. How she knew about was beyond me. I looked away from the cliff and my eyes fell upon where she had been when I tried to stab her. All that was left behind was a small pile of ashes. I leaned in close inspecting it. I grabbed one of the pieces and looked at it.

My heart almost fell out of my chest as a few tears fell from my eyes. In my hand was a red rose petal that had begun to wilt and decay.


	3. 3

**So before I get started there is something I have to address and that is how these chapters seem to line up very closely to Asura Boss's Thorns of a Rose. I never actually read their story until one of you mentioned it and actually laughed at just how closely I wrote to it. This is not meant to be a copy of that story and I can say it will go in a different direction within the next few chapters. There will be a few things that pop up but this is my own stories. Thanks for all the support so far and do make sure to leave a review I love hearing about the ideas you guy have and how to make my work better. Thanks, DestinyChangers!**

Pov?

A day earlier…

The compound below me was light up by bright fluorescent light as guards walked upon the surrounding wall, snow fluttered down from the sky at a slow but constant pace. The compound was one of the most secure locations in all of Atlas every five feet there was a Paladin looking over the wall and guards constantly patrolling. This was light compared to the inside. A key card was required to get inside and the hallways were filled with cameras and motion detectors.

I stepped out from my cover holding the hood over my head with one hand trying to keep the stinging wind away from my face. My other hand was holding the rifle in its collapsed form. The snow acted as cover while I snuck along the base's wall heading for a ventilation shaft. I moved swiftly trying to not even leave a footprint in the lightly packed snow.

I stopped as I reached the corner of the wall where the mountain, main building and wall met together. I looked around making sure no one saw me before turning towards the small vent. Clipping the rifle onto my back I popped the vent off revealing the shaft behind it. The shaft was only 12 inches wide and 6 inches tall. No normal person could possibly fit into the shaft but this was why my master had chosen me.

I took about ten steps back from the vent making sure I had everything attached to me, I ran forward using my semblance and dove right inside the shaft. My body collapsed into a mass of dying rose petals as I fell through the shaft. Once the shaft widened enough I deactivated my semblance and felt my body form back together. It was always a strange feeling but one I didn't mind.

I slid down the shaft slowing myself as I came to the end standing on top of a vent. With a single kick, the vent open and I fell through landing on the ground. I looked around the room and smiled as the information Mistress had given me was correct.

I was now standing inside of a small room filled with cleaning supplies. I moved towards the door and cracked it open and stepped into the hallway and began silently moving towards my destination. If the information was right like it had been so far then it would be just at the end of this hall. The sound of footsteps behind me made me stop and I quickly jumped upwards pushing my foot against the wall then grabbed a pipe running along the ceiling. I pulled myself up and hid on the ceiling as the soldiers passed below me.

Once they finished passing by I silently dropped to the ground and continued creeping along the hallway. I peeked around the corner and waited as the three guards stepped into the room. I followed them and stopped at the room they had entered. It was just my luck that they had entered the same room I needed to. I silently sighed and opened the door and stepped inside.

The three guards were facing away from me and I snuck up pulled my Yatagan from its sheath. The sound of my blade caused the Guards to turn as I thrust it into the first guard's chest piercing his spine. I swiftly pulled the blade free and spun swing the blade through the next man's neck cutting off his head. The third had been quick enough to raise his rifle at me but I activated my semblance and landed right in front of him. His eyes light up in fear as I thrust my blade straight into his heart.

I pulled the blade from the dead man's chest and leaned over him wiping the blood off on his uniform. Once it was clean I looked at it and smiled. This was the first gift I had received from my master. I smiled as I poured my aura into the sword and strange writing engraved on the blade began to light up. I had no idea what language it was but master said it said "Nox Atra" and that it translated roughly to Black night.

Sliding the blade back into its sheath I stepped over the guard's bodies and made my way over to the far wall. In the bottom corner of the wall was a vent, it also would be the way into my targets room. Using my semblance I collapsed into rose petals and entered the vent.

Once I was through the vent I reformed inside the dark room and immediately started looking around. I'd spent enough time in dark places to be able to see in them but my night vision was still not as good as a Faunus.

The room was larger than the others but was decorated almost the same. Pristine white walls and floors with no sign of art anywhere. A wooden desk sat on the far side of the room with a large bookcase to the left. To the right of the desk was a door that lead to my targets personnel quarters.

Silently stepping across the floor I edged up to the door and pulled a small dagger from my belt and pushed it into the doors bolt prying it open. Slowly I opened the door and stepped inside the room as silently as I could, making no noise at all. The room I was in was much smaller than the other and only contained a bed and a door with a small bathroom and shower. Sleeping in the bed was none other than General Ironwood himself sound asleep.

Creeping up to the General I pulled Nox Atra from its sheath ready in case the General made a move. The small glint of metal next to the General caught my eye and I reached down grabbing the source. My hand fell onto the barrel of Ironwood's bull revolver. Moving with precise movements I pulled the revolver away and slipped it into the back of my belt.

I quickly walked over the wall and flicked on the light of the room basking it in bright fluorescent lights. The general shot up in his bed and went to grab his revolver but his hands came up empty. I held Nox Altra up at the General and put the tip to his throat but held it back enough so he could talk. "Who are you and what do you want?"

I looked down to the general and flashed him a smile displaying my sharpened teeth. I pushed the blade closer to the General letting the blade cut lightly into his skin drawing blood. "I've been sent to deliver a message to you!"

The general looked at me as I pulled back the blade letting him speak. "And who is the person sending the message?"

I quickly whipped Nox Atra across the General's right side cutting his clothes open revealing his metal arm and leg. "The same person who did that to you!" I said with a hiss. The General's eyes went wide realizing just who my master was. "Her message is no matter how secure your bases are you're not safe. You can try and hide but she will always find you!""

I took a step back from the General and sheathed Nox Atra. "Is that all?" Another smile slid across my face as I pulled Ironwood's revolver from my belt and a detonator room my pocket. "No, she also wanted to set an example!" I lifted the revolver up and pulled the trigger sending the round straight into the General's right forearm blowing the metal arm apart. The General screamed in pain as he grabbed his ruined arm. I pulled back the hammer and sent another round into his kneecap.

I turned around and walked over to the General's door and opened it. "You won't get away with this, there are hundreds of guards between you and the exit." I lifted my hand as I walked out the door and displayed the detonator and hit the bright red button. The entire base shook as the explosives I'd planted along the outside detonated.

I kicked open the General's door and walked it the brightly lit hallway. I pulled Nox Altra from its sheath and walked down the hallway, The sounds of boots echoed towards me as two dozens of guards erupted from their barracks in full combat armor and rifles in hand. One of the guards spotted me and raised his rifle shouting to halt.

I cracked another smile and activated my semblance, all around me rifles erupted as bullets flew from their barrels, the world, however, had slowed to a slowed till I could see each bullet moving an inch at a time. I walked down the hallway towards the soldiers and wove my way between them while sliding my blade across their throats. By the time I reached the end of the hall and deactivated my semblance all the guard's eyes went wide as they fell to the floor choking on their own blood.

I continued down the long hallway and opted to pull out my rifle. Usually, I used it in sniper form but since I was in such close quarters I collapsed the barrel down and loaded in a magazine of shotgun shells. As guards ran down the hallway I wove through their bullets with my semblance and shot a round into each guard's skull. By the time I reached the main entrance the once pristine white hallways were now painted red.

I opened the door and stepped out into the smoky remains of the base. Ruble from the wall was spread all across the landing pad where the remains of Atlesian Paladin's where joined by the bodies of guards and half a dozen bullheads. As the wind picked up around me I allowed myself to collapse into dying rose petals and let the wind float me down the side of the mountain.

I returned to normal as I fell into a clearing where a bullhead was waiting for me. As I landed the side door opened and two figures stepped out. Both were wearing a furred jack one was colored an emerald green and the other a grey. "Hello, Emerald." I gave her a smile as she pulled down her cloak displaying her short mint green hair. "I narrowed my eye at the other and turned my smile into a snarl. "Mercury!"

Mercury pulled his own hood down and gave me a wink that I returned with a scoff. "Huh, I never thought the Master's pet could pull something off this big!" I shot across the snowy clearing and planted a punch into the side of mercury's face sending him flying back inside the bullhead. "Never call me a pet!"

No response came from Mercury as the punch had knocked him out cold causing Emerald to smile. "That's one way to shut him up." Emerald waved for me to get into the bullhead and I did stepping inside I took a seat. Emerald followed and motioned for the pilot to go before she sat across from me. "Master wants to see you for a new mission when you get back." I gave Emerald I quick nod before pulling my hood over my head and tried to drift off to sleep.

A few hours later…

I followed Emerald and Mercury down the cryptic hallway as it opened up into a large chamber. The room was quite large being over fifty feet wide and hundred and fifty feet long. A large table sat in the middle of the room running, large stained glass windows decorated the walls as I stepped past Emerald and Mercury and walked to the end of the room. I walked up the steps leading to the balcony where my master waited.

A woman with white hair up in a bun with little offshoots sat looking out over the dark crystal land. With a single movement, she turned to face me displaying her porcelain white skin with sickly looking red and purple veins. Her black robes fluttered behind her as she took a few steps towards me. "I take it your mission was a success!"

I quickly dropped to my knee and dropped my head down as Salem stood over me. "Yes, my master I did just as you asked." Salem leaned down and placed a finger under my chin and lifted my gaze to her own. "My child you need not bow before me, I may be your queen but this display is unneeded."

I hesitantly stood up and looked at Salem as she reached up to my mask and lifted it away from my face. Without my mask, the large burn marks across my eye were put on display. I opened my left eye revealing the milky white color it had been reduced to causing Salem to let out a soft sigh. "What a shame that someone as beautiful as you had such a terrible accident."

Salem's hand fell away from my face as she took a step back. "I have a new mission for you, One you will like. Go to Beacon and find Weiss Schnee. Her father has not been very cooperative as of late. I wish for you to send a message."

"As you wish my queen." I turned away and began to leave the large room but Salem's voice caused me to stop. "Do not kill her I only want to send a message!"

The metal of the rooftop below me sent a chill up to me as I laid down on it. I laid down my rifle in front of me aiming down the sight straight into the CCT tower. I had chosen to set up here because it was close enough I wouldn't have to worry about the wind but because I also had almost no obstructions to my view of the CCT's atrium.

The information Emerald had given me said that Weiss Schnee was currently in a meeting with Headmaster Ozpin and would be leaving soon. As long as this intel was good then I could do as my master order and leave. Something about Beacon made me feel tense, I couldn't explain it but it felt like Déjà vu. The thing that caused this the most was the statue in the atrium. It was of the CCT tower except the tower was light up like a beacon, the most off-putting part were the seven figures at the base with weapons in hand.

The sight caused a dull ache to form on the side of my face and where my left eye had been. Using my aura I tried to force the pain away, it worked but there was still a small pain. Whatever it was I didn't like it.

As I continued to look into the atrium I watched as a few guards stepped into an elevator and secretaries worked at their desks. A few random people sat in chairs waiting for whatever they were waiting for. None of them seemed dangerous enough to cause me any trouble.

I watched as one of the elevator doors opened and a tall blonde haired women stepped out wearing a pencil skirt a pleated white shirt and a purple cape. A voice in my head told me she was dangerous and to be on alert. I held my finger over the trigger as she walked across the atrium and began talking to one of the secretaries.

The redheaded secretary handed the women something before she turned around. At that moment a group of five people in assorted gear stepped in, again the dull ache began to spread as I held my finger over the trigger. As I passed my sights over the group my heart shattered as it fell onto two people. The first was a tall blonde haired woman with a metal arm. The sight of her caused my blood to boil and my finger to settle onto the trigger ready to fire. The only thing I knew was that she was the reason for all my pain. My rage ceased as the second figure stepped up next to the blonde, her long black hair made a single tear leaked from my eye. Something inside me made me want to go to her.

My comm in my ear beeped as Emerald voice came through to me shaking my head. "Schnee's leaving the meeting now, be ready to make your move!" I clicked the comm button once giving Emerald the ok.

I looked back through my sights as the older blonde stepped away from the group and stepped right into an elevator. At that same time, Weiss Schnee stepped out of the adjacent elevator. Her eyes fell onto the group as she ran across the atrium to meet the group. The same thing inside me screamed to end the Schnee as quickly as I could just like it had for the blonde.

I aimed the sight right at her skull as she talked to the group whatever she was saying made her look excited. The pain continued to spread across my face as a quick memory flashed across my vision. The sight of Weiss and the blonde running down a tunnel as ruble crashed around me.

Suddenly the voice of Salem entered my head reminding me to only hurt the Schnee not kill. I let out a snarl as I adjusted my sight over to her shoulder and pulled the trigger. My rifle jumped back into my shoulder as the bullet flew from my rifle through the atrium's window and into the Schnee's shoulder. The Schnee dropped the ground and four of the group jumped behind cover. The blonde dropped to the ground and held the Schnee in her hand trying to stop the blood gushing from the wound.

The sight of the blonde cradling the Schnee filled me with rage as I settled the sights on the back of her head. Salem had said not to kill the Schnee but said nothing about the blonde. I lined up the shot and squeezed the trigger as a blonde man ran across the atrium and deployed a shield on his wrist. I cursed to myself as the bullet knocked the shield throwing the man off his feet.

The black haired girl ducked around the statue as she began firing towards me with her weapon. Her shots were landing close to me but none hit. Anger welled inside me as I saw two others peaked out and begin firing. I lined up another shot and fired sending the bullet into the statue above the black haired girl casing rumble to rain down on her.

As I did the bright orange haired girl stepped out from behind cover and pulled out a grenade launcher. I watched as she pulled the trigger sending a volley of grenades into the courtyard. The explosions kicked up dust obscuring my vision of the atrium. Bullets continued to fly through the smoke as thunder cracked off in the distance. From my comms Emeralds, voice came through. "Whatever is happening you need to get out of!"

I didn't respond as I picked up my rifle and ran to the edge of the building, as I did a blade slammed into the opposite edge of the roof indicating someone was chasing after me. I quickly pulled off the glove on my left hand revealing my black metal arm. I jumped off the side of the building and shoved the fingers into the side of the building slowing my descent.

The second my feet hit the ground I released my grip on the wall and ran off towards the Emerald Forest where Emerald would be waiting. I could hear someone land hard behind me as I ran as fast as I could without my semblance. Salem had ordered that I not use and right now I wished I could.

As I was running my foot clipped a rock sticking out from the ground causing me to lose my pace. Behind me, my pursuer threw their weapon firing shooting it. I sidestepped as the blade came whizzing past my face. The person behind me pulled on the ribbon firing the weapon back towards me, reflexes took over as I pulled a knife from my belt and blocked the spinning weapon knocking it away.

I knew I couldn't run any farther now that my pursuer had stopped me, I need to face them. I slowly turned as I condensed my rifle and placed it on the magnetic holster on my back, at the same time I placed my hand on Nox Altra ready to draw it. I stopped as I turned and face the black hair from before.

We each took time as we looked at one another, She was about two inches shorter than me with long black hair and two cat ears on top of her head. Her amber eyes met mine for a brief as I continued my gaze to her outfit. Her outfit was quite simple, She was wearing a pair of tight black jeans with a red ribbon hanging out to back left side. She was also wearing a black leather jacket that cut off halfway and a plain grey T-shirt that cut off just a little bit past the jacket displaying her stomach.

My eyes fell to the blade in her hands, whatever it could do I didn't want to find out and drew my own blade while pulling my hood down letting my hair blow in the wind. The woman continued to stare at me as I lunged forward aiming to pierce her. My face continued to burn with pain as I left my chest exposed. The woman swung her sword at my chest and in an instant I grabbed the blade sheathed on my belt and blocked her attack. In my hand was a broken tanto, Master had given it to me when I'd first woken up. She said it was the only thing that I had on me when they'd found me.

As she pulled back I slashed forward with Nox Atra and my tanto blade but Nox was blocked by her katana. The tanto blade slashed through the air as it hit the woman but I felt no resistance as her form disappeared into shadows. A quick flash caught my eye as the woman jumped at me spinning her blade wickedly. As quickly as I could I lifted my leg and planted a kick as hard as I could into her chest.

The force of the kick caused the woman to tumble through the air, I took my chance and turned around sprinting for the edge of the cliff. I was so close if I could just get into the forest then I could lose her. The hairs on the back of my head stood up as I felt the woman draw closer. Instincts took over as I activated my semblance and shot forward away from her with breakneck speed.

As I hit the edge of the cliff I turned to face where the woman had been and saw her sprawled across the ground. As she looked up at me I felt that the ground below me was a hard metal panel something inside telling me it was a launch pad. I locked eyes with the girl as I lifted my foot and slammed it down as hard as I could. I felt the launch pad click below before it sent me soaring over the Emerald Forest.

As I soared through the air I activated my semblance and collapsed it a flurry of wilted rose petals and slowly fell to the ground. Once I was close enough I reformed and crashed to the ground. The pain in my face had become unbearable causing me to collapse to my knees.

I let out a scream as I ripped the mask off my face as tears poured from my eyes.

In my comms I could hear Emerald shouting at me but the pain blocked what she was saying. I continued to scream in pain as the fire on my face spread, at first it spread down my neck but quickly it spread across my entire body. I could feel darkness enter my vision as I slowly succumbed to the pain. With one last scream I let myself fall into the dark.

As consciousness returned to me I could feel myself being carried by large muscular hands. I slowly opened my eye and squinted at the brightness of the light. I slowly inched my open as it adjusted to the light.

Once my eyes had adjusted I looked up to who was carrying and my eye met the familiar sight of Hazel Rainart. I looked around and found that I was being carried down the cryptic hallways of my queen's castle towards the main room. I watched the ceiling as Hazel carried me into the room and stopped once he was halfway.

Using his low yet soft voice Hazel spoke. "My queen I've brought her like you asked." Hazel finally looked down at me and into my open eye. "I take it she is awake!"

Hazel looked back at Salem and nodded a yes. "Then put her down and leave us." Hazel nodded again and slowly lowered me placing my feet on the ground and helping me to stand. I could feel my muscles straining to hold myself as I steadied myself using Hazel large body to do so. It took a second but once I was done I nodded to Hazel who stepped away leaving Salem and me alone.

When I looked up to her I was surprised she still had her usual emotionless expression. "So do you wish to tell what happened and why Emerald was forced to find you lying unconscious in the woods."

I slowly raised my head as my eyes met her own black and red eyes. "During the mission, there was more resistance than anticipated. I managed to do as you said and injured the Schnee."

Salem stepped up to me and placed her hand on my chin raising my chin up and locking her gaze into mine. "That does not explain why Emerald had to retrieve you!"

I let out an audible gulp as Salem's hand held my head up. "When I was on the mission I had a...a memory flash...after that my face began to burn with pain…..I shot the Schnee but the pain continued even when I tried to use my aura to stop it. Someone from the CCT tower chased after me I managed to escape but I had to use my semblance. After that I got to the forest...the pain spread...and"

Salem abruptly let go of my chin as she stepped back away from me. "I see, did any of them recognize you?" I dropped my gaze away from Salem letting it fall to the floor in shame. "I do not believe so….but I had the memory flash after I saw the Schnee and a blonde woman...I was so angry but I saw a woman with black hair that I recognized….I felt ha…."

"I understand there is no need to continue. The reason for the pain was because you saw two people from your past. The two people who caused all your pain. Do not worry they shall be taken care of as for the black haired woman I do not know."

I raised my gaze feeling the same rage I had before when I'd seen the blonde. They caused my pain and they need to pay! "For now you must rest before I send you back out. Your next mission will be more important then you can believe." Salem motioned with her hand for me to leave as she walked away toward her throne. "Wait there's one thing I promised to do!"

I stopped in my tracks and turned to face Salem as she waved her hand in the air. Black shadows swirled around her hand and down around her body before swirling across the ground. "I promised to fix the damage to your face, I may not be able to fix all of it but I can fix some." I kept my eyes glued to the dark shadows and took a step back as it reached out for me. "Do not worry my child this is the same magic I used to heal you before."

The shadows sprung forward towards me and began crawling up my body towards my face. The shadows felt cold as the touched the scarred skin of my face, I felt my aura flare up and the skin repair as the shadows continued to swirl around me. With another flick of her wrist, the shadows receded from my body and flowed back into Salem.

I raised my hand to my face and couldn't help but smile feeling the smooth skin below my fingers. The only thing that remained was the long jagged scar that passed through my left eye. "Thank you!"

Turning quickly I ran down the hall and began weaving my way through the castle. I bolted up a staircase and stopped as I reached a large wooden door. I placed my hand on the door and pushed it open and stepped into the room as a tear dropped from my eye.

Inside was Cinder sitting in playing with a box filled with little connectable blocks. Sitting next to her was two little red-haired girls each with a pair of black cat ears sitting on top of her heads. I looked to Cinder who had her own tears falling from her face as she looked at my own repaired skin. The girls turned from their spots and their faces filled up with glee.

They both jumped up as quickly as they could and ran towards me. I crouched down and held out my arms as being the girls slammed into my body gripping me in a tight hug. "Hello, Kita! Hello, Ari!"

The smaller of the two girls leaned back and held her hand up wiping a tear from my face. "Your face looks so pretty Mommy!"


	4. 4

**Before I get started I would like to give a quick thank you for all the reviews since my last update. I do this because I enjoy writing and all your support keeps me going. So please keep up with the reviews and I'll try and answer any questions you guys have.**

POV BLAKE

"Yang, you need to listen to me. I know you don't want to hear this but it has to do with Ruby!" Yang spun angrily as she stopped her march through the pristine white halls of Beacon's hospital. Yang held up her cybernetic arm pointing her metal finger at me with a snarl across her face.

"Blake you're right I don't want to hear about her….I know I've changed since she died, just deal with it I don't plan on going back to the way things were. We have bigger problems, Weiss just got shot by some assassin and they almost killed me and you too. SO DROP IT!"

Yang turned back around angrily and resumed her march towards the ICU where Weiss currently was. Yang had ran straight to the hospital after I'd chased the shooter and broke down every door that stood in her way. The only reason that she wasn't with Weiss now was that the doctors had forced her away for her surgery. Now that Weiss was out nothing would stop Yang from getting to her side.

I quickly followed keeping pace with the severely pissed off blonde. Flame licked out from Yang's short hair making nurses and other staff jump out of her way in fear. "Yang we need to talk, I need to tell you something about the shooter."

Yang continued on her one-way path and slammed into a staff member to slow to get out of the way. Yang paid no mind to the man as if he was a bug that had smacked into an airship. Yang's path took her around a corner where team JNR was waiting. Ren, Nora, and Jaune all got up from their seats and stood worriedly as Yang headed towards the door next to them. Nora tried to speak but Ren settled his hand on to her shoulder and sat down with her.

Yang stopped right outside the door and grabbed the doors hand and slowly pulled the door open. The one thing Yang was always terrified of was hospitals, for her it was not a place where people got better but where people died. Yang had simply lost too much of her family and seeing another injured always upset her.

Jaune stepped up to Yang and settled his hand onto the handle right on top of Yang's. "You don't have to worry the Doctors said she will be fine thanks to you. Just go in there and wait for her to wake up. I know you'll be the first one she wants to see!" Yang didn't say anything as she stepped into the room closing the door behind her.

"Thank you Jaune, you're one of the few people she'll listen to." Jaune sighed as he sat down in his chair trying to find a comfortable position in the hard plastic of the chair. "Ya well, for now, it's all I'm good for."

I took the seat next to Jaune and placed my hand on his shoulder trying to console him. "It was your quick thinking that saved Weiss and Yang from the shooter's second shot remember that. By the way any news about how the Schnee company is taking their CEO being shot."

Jaune chuckled and sat up in his chair giving me one of his natural cheeky grins. "From what Ozpin has told me they're all freaking out. Luckily Ozpin got them calmed down enough not to storm the school and has placed the three of us as her guards. Once they learned three trained huntsman where guarding her things settled down."

I gave Jaune a small nod and I sat back in my chair placing Gambol Shroud into my lap. "Blake something is clearly on my mind and from the shouting, in the hallway, it sounds serious."

"That's because it is serious." Jaune sat forward and looked right at me forcing my eyes to lock with his. "Blake I know that whatever happened was pretty crazy but remember it's not safe to keep it in. I'm here so just tell me."

Jaune's eyes nor voice wavered as he spoke, whenever he became serious it was clear to everyone. "When I was chasing after the shooter I was so focused on catching them I completely missed things that I didn't realize till after she escaped." Jaune gave me a puzzled look before asking "She" confusingly.

"Ya, I'm getting to it. When I was chasing the shooter I was running as hard as I could and when I look back it was clear that she was hiding something. I ended up stopping her and when she turned to face me she seemed almost surprised, it almost looked like she was shocked. Not because I caught her but because she recognized me. "

"Ok maybe she was someone from the White Fang, I mean weren't you pretty high up in the ranks." I sighed, I always hated thinking about my time spent with...him. All the time I spent fighting for equal rights was part of my past and present but I never wanted to become something even close to resembling Adam in his fight for revenge. "No, I knew almost everyone during my time in the White Fang. After a second she started to attack me and I quickly retaliated. I thought during the fight she was an amateur fight since she seemed to hesitate during every attack. I ended up breaking her defense and I went to stab her but she pulled out a broken blade, even then I paid no attention to it. It finally became clear when I attacked her again. She used her semblance and in the blink of an eye she was on a launchpad and then after that gone."

"Ok so she had a speed semblance, they're not that uncommon." I looked down to my lap trying to hold back a tear as I reached into my pocket and pulled out the wilted rose petals.

"When she used her semblance she left something behind. I only know of one person who ever did that!" I held out the petals and Jaune seemed to freeze as he looked at them. "Ok so the shooter has a semblance similar to Ruby's but she's…"

"Dead I know, however after the fight I started thinking why wouldn't she use her semblance to just run away earlier or why she didn't use it against me sooner. Then there was the blade she'd pulled out I wished I paid more attention to it earlier but it was a broken tanto similar to the one she had. Then not to mention how she knew about the launchpad, it was only used during our initiation and the one three years earlier and after."

"Ok so the shooter has some similarities to Ruby but that doesn't mean it's her. We buried her next to her mother, you saw her die!" I started shaking my head as a few tears fell from my face. "No, I didn't, I saw the ceiling fall around her, she told to run and I did just that. The other thing is when we went back to look for her. Yang wouldn't believe she was dead until we found her. We went back and slowly dug through the tunnel. When we were there it was clear somebody else had also been digging. I just thought it was White Fang looking for survivors. The only thing we ever found was the remains of Crescent Rose, not Ruby. What if Someone got to her before us?"

Jaune looked at me stunned clearly trying to find a way to deny what I'd said. Ren and Nora just sat in silence trying to take all the information in. Finally, Jaune stood up looked at the door to Weiss's room. "Have you talked to Yang about it yet." I slowly shook my head telling him no. "Well, maybe you should?"

A sudden commotion came from Weiss's room seemingly from Yang gasping loudly. I shot up from my chair and burst into the room and found Yang holding a conscious Weiss in her grasp. "How the hell are you awake already." Weiss gave a groan as Yang let go of Weiss then wiped a tear from her face. "We Schnee's are too stubborn to stay down for long."

Yang and Jaune chuckled as Weiss lightly sat up in her bed. Yang grabbed her hand and smiled as a few more tears fell. "Doc said you'd make a full recovery and that you'd be all healed up in a week. Thankfully the bullet missed literally every vital point. Either the shooter is the worst assassin ever or luck was on your side." Weiss groaned as she moved her upper body before looking up at me."Blake what's wrong you look like you've seen a ghost."

I quickly looked to Jaune who gave me a nod. I turned my gaze to Yang and Weiss nervously shifting between the two. "I tried to tell you earlier Yang but you wouldn't listen but know that Weiss is awake I have something important to tell you."

POV SILVER

"Come on Cinder you need to calm down, you'll wake up Kita and Ari!" Cinder didn't let up as she continued to circle around me just as she had been since The girls had fallen asleep on my bed. Every few minutes one of them would stir as Cinder inspected me.

Cinder simply refused to believe that my face had been fixed even though she'd seen what Salem's magic could do first hand. "Cinder please just stop!' Cinder final stopped her parade around the room her short hair bouncing as she stopped "Sorry it's just Salem finally did what she promised to do!" I reached out grabbed Cinder's hand resting it on the newly repaired sling of my face."Salem might not be the best person but she saved my life. I have no memory of what happened to me but it doesn't matter as long as I have all of you."

"Sorry it's just seeing your face after so long is still surprising I almost forgot just how pretty you where." I sat down on the bed being careful not to disturb the sleeping girls as I slowly ran my fingers through Kita's blood red hair. "I almost can't believe it either. I hid behind that mask even when I didn't need to, but now I'm free."

Cinder sat down next to me and rested her hand on my shoulder and pulled me into a hug. A few seconds passed before Cinder released me leaning away from me on the bed and looked back at me and the two girls. "How about you get some sleep, tomorrow we can talk more about this!"

I gave Cinder a nod and watched her get up and cross the large room and lay down into her own bed on the opposite side. I turned away and crawled onto my own bed right between the little figures on it and rested my head on my pillow. Almost upon instinct Kita and Ari turned and squirmed up next to me placing their head in the nook of my arms as I laid on my back. I pulled each girl closer holding them in a relax but tight hold and slowly drifted off to sleep.

POV YANG

"Blake you can't be serious! You want me to believe the person who just tried to kill Weiss, me, Team JNR and even you was…"

"Ruby….I know you don't like it when we talk about her but you can't ignore the facts." Blake had completely taken a defensive stance against me as she stood next to the room's door. Weiss had refused to say anything after Blake had begun telling us about the attacker and her absurd idea.

"Blake you told me my sister died in those tunnels, we buried her right next to her….no MY MOTHER. Now you're trying to say she's alive….I just can't!" I didn't even fight the tears as they cascaded down my face. My father had done the same thing after Summer had died and it almost tore my family apart.

"Blake I know you and Ruby had...a thing but don't do this. My dad did the same thing and spent months trying to find Summer. All he ended up was finding the bottom of a bottle...so please."

"Yang I know it sounds ….impossible. But if what Blake says is true we have to look into it. I don't know why she would do this but if it was her then we at least need try." I looked awestruck at Weiss as she uncomfortably shifted her gaze to me and Blake. If I thought anybody would be on my side it would be Weiss. "Weiss, really you just got shot by the person Blake thinks is Ruby...Why?"

"Because I was there when we looked for her in the tunnels...what if Blake is right and somebody did get to her...would you abandon her?"

"Fine then...do what you want but where the hell are you gonna start, it's been three years." Weiss looked over to Blake and motioned to hand her the scroll in her hand. Blake gave it to her while Weiss started tapping away on the screen. "We need to call the one person we know can find anyone." Weiss tapped the screen one more time and held the scroll up to her ear and waited before a muffled voice came through. "Hello Winter can you please put Qrow on I need to talk to him"

POV Silver

No matter how much you want to sleep in you lose the ability once a child becomes involved. Kita had begun to stir a few minutes ago and her movements had pulled me from my slumber. I carefully propped myself up onto prosthetic and used my free and only real hand to delicately pull back Kita's hair and tuck it behind her ear. I looked down at the base of the bed and found Ari flopped out on her belly. I looked back to the small child next to me as Kita's eyes slowly opened displaying her own silver irises.

This was the sole reason why Salem had allowed the two twin girls to stay with me, for me it was all about getting them out of the hellhole they were in. Salem had sent me out on a mission for the White Fang to take out a gang who were known for hauling "precious" cargo. Once they were dead I would free the Faunus slaves and turned them over to the White Fang creating a batch of fresh recruits with a hatred for humans.

Emerald and Mercury dropped me off just outside of Vacuous eastern walls just as the sun began to set. Beads of sweat formed on my brow as I ran across the roof of the city's ghetto as the setting sun beat down on me. Moving quickly as I could I headed towards the ghetto's northeast end where the gang was hiding out. By the time I made it to the location the sun had dipped below the horizon leaving just a dim glow of light as night set in.

I waited a few streets away from the building using my rifle to investigate the place. It was a good-sized building probably once being a machine shop. As I looked through the scope of my rifle I found the entire building void of life. There were no lights on, no people, no anything but silence.

I looked down at the watch on my wrist and silently sighed, my time was up and I needed to move now. I slowly got up and got up and walked to the back of the roof and quickly dropped into a runner's position. Crouching down I activated my semblance and let it build up till I was about ready to burst. I shot forward and launched myself off the roof and sent myself flying towards the building. Just as I reached the height of my flight I collapsed into a bundle of wilted rose petals and slowly drifted down to the building entrance and slid inside.

The smell of death instantly filled my nose as I reformed inside the building, other than the smell the first thing I noticed was the floors. There was blood everywhere, the floor had gotten the worst of it but even the ceiling had splotches of blood splatter. I quickly unsheathed my sword and poured some of my aura into it activating the runic inscription. The blade started to glow giving me a light source as I walked through the building.

It wasn't long till I came across the first body, I quickly knelt down and turned over the body and jumped back in surprise. The man or what was left of him had his face cleanly ripped off and his skull crushed. I quickly stepped past the body and continued along passing more bodies and their weapons. Clearly, something had attacked them and won.

I spent the next few minutes on the main floor till I found my way to the back of the room where a set of dust infused steel doors sat on their hinges with claw marks cut through them. I ran my hand over the destroyed metal feeling the pattern of the claws. The only thing that could make this was the one thing that didn't belong in a city. Grimm!

I tightened my grip on my sword and stepped down the stairs trying to fight the stench that flowed from the basement. When I reached the steps I ran my hands up the wall finding a light switch and flicked it. Dim lights turned on illuminating the large space exposing a sight worse than the one upstairs.

Along the walls were ten cages each packed with the bodies of at least twenty Faunus spanning all age groups. The cages had been opened by the same thing that had torn apart the steel door. The worst part was the bodies conditions, all of them were covered in dirt and grime from the cages not to mention their own feces. The bodies had been ripped apart having their limbs and organs carved out. The Grimm that had done this clearly knew what it was doing.

As I checked each cage I came up with the same result, all dead. By the time I made it to the end of the room all that was left was a door at the end. I held my sword up ready to strike as I placed my hand on the doors handle. With a quick motion, I threw the door open and stepped into the room.

The room was different than the other but had the same feeling of darkness. Inside the room was a small furnace in the corner and a metal chair bolted to the ground with restraints attached to the legs and arms of the chair. Next to the chair was a cart holding an assortment of knives, drills and other torture devices each coated in blood. The final thing in the room was a large storage cabinet in the corner of the room probably holding more torture tools.

I pulled out my scroll and quickly pulled up Emerald ready to call her and tell her the mission was a bust, however, a light metal clang came from inside the cabinet. I tightened the grip on my sword and stepped forward towards it. Once I was close enough I grabbed the door handle and ripped the cabinet open. A small object lunged out of the cabinet forcing me to sidestep out of the way. I twirled around and found myself looking at a small child holding a knife in her hands. Her silver eyes were filled with fear and tears as she stabbed at me once again. I quickly grabbed the small child's hand and pulled the knife from her hands and threw it away from her.

The girl's eyes grew wide as I grabbed her shoulders holding her in place. "Hey you're ok, you're safe." I pulled the girl into a hug holding tightly as she struggled against me. She kept fighting for a little bit longer but quickly fatigued and relented to my hold. Once she was done I released the terrified girl and looked at he taking in what she looked like for the first time. The girl was young no older than four or five with red hair and a pair of black cat ears perched on the top of her head. She was covered in dirt from head to toe and excrement. As I studied her it became clear she had been here for quite some time as she was severely malnourished as her clothes hung off her body.

I finally stopped my study of the girl and looked her in the eyes and tried to speak to her in the calmest voice I could muster. "Hey you're, I know you're scared but I'm not here to hurt you. My name is Silver what's yours?" The small girl relaxed in my hands even more and the fear-filled look in her eyes eased a little as she spoke in a soft frail voice. "My name is Ari."

"That's pretty name Ari I like it a lot now can you tell me why you were hiding in that locker." Kita's eyes grew fearful again as tears started to form in the corner of her eyes. "It was the monsters!" I quickly stood up still holding onto Arias I picked up Nox Atra. I looked back down to the girl who was clinging to me for dear life. I had a few a options I could leave her here for the police to find if they ever did or I could take her with me. I looked back down at her and instantly made my choice. Hopefully, Salem wouldn't be to upset.

"Ari how would you like to come with me I can take you somewhere safe!" Ari looked up at me as if I'd just offered her a million dollars, "what about my sister Kita?" I gave Ari a confused look as the girl walk back over to the cabinet and pulled open the other door. Inside was a girl almost identical to Ari but slightly smaller and more malnourished.

I rushed forwards and picked up the small girl and tested her pulse finding it to be weak. "Ok then, let's get out of here as quickly as possible. Stay close and you'll be fine." I grabbed Kita and held her up with one arm and began making my way back through the warehouse.

As I approached the area I had entered through a loud noise echoed from the far side of the warehouse from the area I had not checked. My mind went into overload I as I held my sword up trying to guess what had caused that noise. If what Ari had said was true and from all the others signs left behind that meant there was only one thing that could have made that noise. My deduction became true as a large black bipedal shape entered the very hallway I was standing in.

My heart skipped a beat as I looked at the Grimm standing twenty feet away from me. The fools had not captured any Grimm but had caught an Alpha. The Beowolf stood twice as tall as any of its underlings and was covered in bone white armor. The Beowolf's red eyes fell upon me as it loud out a terrifying howl and charged. I quickly dodged left still holding Kita in my arms as the Grimm barreled past me. I activated my semblance and ran straight to the door and kicked it open. I quickly handed Kita to her sister and pushed them through the door as the Alpha slammed into me with one of its claws draining my aura to halfway with one hit.

I rolled to the right as the Grimm swung towards where I'd been laying attempting to splatter me on the ground. I stood up and sped forward with my semblance and slashed Nox Atra across the back of Its legs slicing the tendons and muscle to ribbons.

The alpha roared in pain as it fell to the ground from the attack. It tried to stand up but fell down again unable to support its weight on its leg. I stepped towards the crippled Grimm and stopped right in front of it. The Alpha swung its claw at me but with one swift movement, I cut it's arm off at the elbow. Before it could roar in pain I pushed my blade right through its eye and out the back of its skull ending it.

I walked past the quickly disappearing Grimm and walked out the door to where I'd thrown the twins and found Ari holding her sister as she cried. I quickly sheathed my sword and dropped down picking up the two girls and began trying to comfort her. "Hey it's ok the monster is gone, there's no need to cry." Ari clung to me tightly as she cried into my shoulder. I stood up and pulled out my scroll and quickly sent Emerald a message saying I was heading back. Ari had finally begun to calm down and had fallen asleep in my arms as I began my trek back to the bullhead.

Once I had arrived I quickly stepped into the bullhead where Emerald and Mercury were waiting. "Silver did you complete the job." Emerald turned to face me and grew wide-eyed at the sight of the child in my arms. "No, I didn't they were already dead!" This time it was Mercury who spoke up as Emerald was still in shock. "What do you mean dead and why are their two little brats in your arms."

I pulled a dagger from my belt and held it up to Mercury's throat drawing a small amount of blood. "When I got their all I found were bodies torn apart after those dumbasses tried to cage an Alpha. "These "BRATS" are the only survivors and are now under my protection so NEVER SPEAK ABOUT THEM LIKE THAT AGAIN." Mercury didn't say anything after I finished my threat choosing to stay quite alongside Emerald.

After the bullhead had landed back at Salem's castle Emerald finally spoke saying something about Salem wanting to see me. I gave no response but picked up the girls up and made my way towards the throne room. I stopped just as I entered the large room still holding the sleeping forms.

Salem stood up from her throne and walked towards me stopping just a few feet away. "So what emerald said was true you brought back a pet with you." I gripped The girl's tighter to my body causing Ari to stir in my arms. "They are not pets, they need a family and I intend to be just that from now on." Salem angered at the tone of my voice and stepped towards me fueled with anger but stopped as Ari's eyes fluttered open revealing two silver orbs. All the anger Salem had vanished as she looked at me. "I see it shall be permitted but keep them out of my way, Now leave."

A knock on my door pulled me out of my memories as I stood up and opened it revealing Mercury. "Salem has another mission for you, Cinder will be your partner for this and will give you all the details." Without another second Mercury left without any other word. I closed the door and walked back to the bed where Kita and Ari sat awake. "Mommy, are you leaving again?"

"Yes me and Aunt Cinder have another mission!" I sat down on the bed and let the girls crawl into my lap. Instinctively I began to scratch behind each of their cat ears eliciting a purr from both. Kit, Ari and I stayed like that for some time until Cinder walked into the room dressed in her combat attire. "Hello, Cinder how are you!"

"Good, I take it you have been informed about the mission." I gave her a quick nod as I picked Kita and Ari up and walked with them over to the small kitchen and placed them each on a chair before I began to pour a bowl of cereal for the three of us. "Mercury told me we had a mission and that you would give me the details." Cinder walked into the kitchen and sat down next to me pulling up a file on her scroll. I quickly began to scroll over the mission and paused looking up at Cinder.

"Our next mission is to kill Beacons highest rank team." Cinder nodded as I looked down at the pictures of the trio in the photo making something ping in the back of my head. "Looks like team JNR is our next target!"


	5. 5

Pov Weiss

It had been a little over a week since I'd been shot and only a few hours since I'd been cleared to leave the hospital. A week of Aura enhancers had repaired almost all of the damage to my shoulder only leaving sore muscles and the occasional bit of pain. This, however, was nothing that some time in physical therapy wouldn't fix. I felt a pang of fear as I stepped into the elevator heading up towards Ozpin's office with my two teammates on either side. The last time I'd stepped out of this elevator I'd almost died.

As the elevator came to a halt and the doors slid open I took a deep breath and stepped into Ozpin's office with a practiced walk of authority learned from being president of the SDC. Sitting in his usual spot overlooking vale was Headmaster Ozpin with a cup of coffee in his hand. "Hello, Headmaster we're here for our meeting."

"Ah yes Ms. Schnee, Blake, Yang it's good to see all of you after the little… incident. Please take a seat." Yang snarled at Ozpin's comment but I placed a hand on her wrist making her relax as the three enough took a seat in front of Ozpin's desk. "Before we get started I do wish to apologize for what happened, after hearing about Ironwoods assassination attempt I should have increased security."

Ozpin's comment caused me to quickly sit up in my seat in utter confusion. General Ironwood was supposed to be inside one of Atlas's most secure bunkers, there could have been no way he was attacked while there. "Ozpin what do you mean, what happened?"

"Oh, I'm surprised you were not informed. A few days ago an assassin made their way into Ironwoods bunker and attacked him and destroyed half the base. Ironwood is currently under treatment and is going to be fitted with a new prosthetics. The attack happened less than a day before your own."

"Headmaster who could have done this. That was Atlas's most secure base?" Ozpin sighed and took a sip from his mug of coffee before placing it down in front of him. "Weiss this is a question you already have an answer for, for now, we hope there are no more attacks. Now, what is it you came to talk to me so urgently about?"

Yang stayed quiet as Blake pulled out a folder and placed a few photos on the table for Ozpin to look at. "Headmaster when Weiss was attacked I chased after her attacker while Yang stayed with Weiss. Some things happened during the chase that I didn't take notice of until after the fact, but it helped to possibly identify who they were."

Ozpin picked up each picture and looked at the photos with an intense gaze. Finally, when he was done he placed the photos down and looked at all three of us with a steel grey eyes. "Now if these pictures are of who you believe it is I hope you have more proof, but seeing that Yang is also here then I'm guessing you do."

I nodded as Blake pulled out a small clear plastic bag and laid it on the desk. "As I said after the chase I noticed a few things, the first being a weapon she pulled out, it was a tanto blade almost identical to the one she used though it was broken. The second thing was her semblance. The attacker used a speed semblance to escape from me during the end of the fight, I know speed semblances are not uncommon but no one except her leaves these behind."

Ozpin picked up the bag and quickly dropped it down onto the desk after seeing what was inside. "I will tell you three this, the death of Ruby Rose was one of the biggest mistakes I ever made and I have made many mistakes. If you believe she is alive and is an assassin for the Queen then my mistake has only gotten worse. If you follow this you will have to bring things to light that should stay in the dark. Are you prepared to do this?"

Yang surprised all three of us when she stood up and slammed her hands onto the desk. "If there's any chance in all of Remnant that my baby sister is alive I WILL FOLLOW IT NO MATTER THE PATH. I should have died that day not her because of my mistake, so With or WITHOUT your help I will find her." Ozpin stood up from his desk and walked over to the window and looked out over Beacon. "I will help you but I must ask, have you told your Uncle or your Father about this?"

"Yang stayed quiet for a second before she spoke. "Qrow and Winter are on the way here now but my father doesn't know. I can't put him through this, it would kill him. Until we know the truth I want him to stay in the dark." Ozpin turned from the window and faced the three of us. An explosion shook the building and a large crack formed across the window. "I believe we may not need to look as far as we thought."

POV SILVER

With how much planning was required for this mission and in such little time Cinder and I had left Salem's castle and moved to one of our few remaining safe houses in Vale. Since Cinder was on this job with me Kita and Ari were forced to come with us. Currently, they were being watched by Emerald back at the safehouse. The only time my daughters were safe while in the Castle was when either Cinder or I were present. I couldn't imagine what would happen if somebody like Tyrian got their hands on them. Outside of her domain, I had enough faith in Emerald that she could protect them.

The last four days Cinder had laid low while I stuck to the shadows and monitored all of JNR's movement. The orange and black haired team members Nora and Ren seemed to spend almost every moment of their time together while their blonde leader Jaune was only with them a few random times a day. The only time they seemed to meet together was around noon for lunch. The problem with this was that they were near a hotspot filled with dozens of Hunters and Huntresses at all times.

Thankfully we had luck on our side and Team JNR would always walk back towards their residence together. The path that they chose to use broke off from the main walkway and took them on a smaller path with a scarce population most of the time. Cinder and I had chosen this as our ambush point and were both currently waiting for the trio to arrive.

Cinder sat down below hiding in the shadows ready to step out when team JNR arrived. My job was to drop from the roof and block their rear escape path. Even as experienced as they were they couldn't hope to protect themselves in such a tight location.

Doing my usual scouting, I looked through my scope keeping low so as not to be seen. A few people came and went passing by us but none where the targets. Finally, the sound and sight of an enthusiastic orange haired woman caught my attention. Following her were the two other targets. "Cinder their coming this way be ready."

"Got it, when I step out, make your move!" I pulled back from my spot and crept over to the edge of the building switching my rifle to shotgun mode ready to act in at a moments notice. The trio walked into the alley and continued to talk completely oblivious to what was going to happen. Just as they reached halfway into the alley Cinder stepped out of the shadows using her powers causing flames to ignite all around her.

Jaune drew his sword and shield in an instant quickly followed by his teammates as Cinder took a few steps towards him. "Hello, Jaune it's so good to see you. The last time I did...well that was when I killed your pathetic little love!" Jaune growled but was smart enough to hold his ground while his two teammates slowly backed up. Making my move I jumped over the edge of the roof and landed with a thud in the alley.

Ren quickly spun around holding his smg's up at me, I responded by holding up my own rifle laying it level with his chest. "So what made you decide to come out of hiding after all these years?" Jaune voice was little more than a snarl at Cinder as she stopped just a few paces from Jaune. "Oh Silly boy I haven't been hiding I've been practicing!"

With a single swing of her arm Cinder cast, a wall of fire down the alley burning everything in its path. I turned away from the flames holding my arm up as the wave of heat from the fire rolled over from me. When the fired died out I turned back and took a step back in surprise, Jaune was standing before Cinder with a yellow translucent wall surrounding his team. Jaune let the wall collapse and lunged forward at Cinder as she summoned a pair of glass daggers shouting. "I've been practicing too!"

I lunged backward just in time as a large hammer came smashing down where I had been followed by a barrage of bullets. Ren and Nora had left their leader and decided to team up on me. A smile spread across my face as I pulled the trigger on my gun and fired my own barrage of buckshot towards the duo.

Ren jumped out of the way in time but Nora was too slow and tried to spin her hammer to deflect the pellets but ended up missing more than half of them. The pellets smacked into Nora knocked her back while simultaneously taking out a chunk of her aura. I fired another round as Ren came running at me slicing two curved blades that extended from his guns at my neck. Spinning my rifle in my hand I blocked the attack and smashed the butt of it into his gut.

I pointed my rifle at Ren and prepared to fire but was launched backwards as a grenade blew up at my feet sending my rifle flying from my hand. I skidded to a halt with smoke blowing off my trench coat. I stood up and drew Nox Atra from its sheath letting the blade glow red. Nora ran over to Ren and quickly helped the man up as they both got ready for the next round. By now the fight had escalated and the three of us were currently fighting on the main street. This was going to make it a little harder but not impossible.

I charged forward towards Nora knowing she was the slower of the two and sidestepped her hammer slicing Nox across her side. I quickly rolled away as her hammer came slamming down before thrusting my sword forward catching her in the back. Nora screamed as her aura level fell, even more, just another hit or two and it would be gone. Green flashed from the corner of my eye and I brought my blade up catching Ren weapon locking us together.

Ren pushed down on my blade keeping us locked together giving Nora a chance to land a clean blow on me. I smiled and reached down with my free hand and pulled a white bladed dagger from my belt and stabbed it towards the unexpecting man. Ren saw my move and released our lock but not quickly enough, the blade cut through Ren's side leaving a shallow cut a few inches long. "How did you….I still have aura."

I spun the blade in my hand displaying the dagger completely to him. This was a very rare and illegal dagger made from steel infused with white dust. White dust had a special property making it bypass aura. During the Great War thousands of weapons were created using it and in the end, all of the world's white dust was used up. After the war was ended and the World Council was formed all aura piercing weapons were confiscated and made illegal. Only a few remained out of the Council's reach and one just happened to have been owned by a man I killed.

Placing the blade back on my belt I held my sword up and motioned for the duo to attack. This time the duo chose to move together attacking as one, Ren speed towards my right while Nora charged right at me swing her hammer across her body. Figuring out Ren planned to hit me in a blind spot I flipped over the hammer and sent a kick to the berserkers face pushing myself towards the ninja.

As I landed I dropped to my knees and slid just a few centimeters under the daggers. Just as the blades cleared my head I spun smacking the blade of Nox Atra into the back of Ren's knee forcing him to the ground. Nora ran towards me going for an overhead swing leaving her chest open. I sent a quick kick into Nora's chest and hit Ren with the flat of Nox Atra's blade.

This was the final attack on the duo. With the damage, Nora had already taken and Ren's defense being low both their aura hit zero. I took a step back not ready to end the fight just yet, Ren and Nora stood up feeling the toll of the fight on their body as they tried to catch their breath. I slid Nox back into its sheath and pulled my broken blade from inside my coat.

Both of their eyes light up as I ran towards Ren flipping my tanto into a backhanded grip. Ren stopped the blade but I used my free hand to punch him in the side then followed it up by slide the razor sharp blade across Ren's left wrist severing the tendons and blood vessels in his arm. Ren screamed dropping both his weapons and used his only working hand to try and stop the flow of blood.

The loud sound of a grenade exploding behind me made me spin around as Nora's hammer came flying towards me. Having enough of her I held out my left arm and caught the hammer's head with my robotic arm. Nora looked at me in shock as she let go of the hammer in fear. I threw the oversized toy away and thrust the tanto into her gut, Nora tried to stop the blade by catching my arm only letting the blade sink in about half an inch. I pulled the back and kneed Nora in the gut before sliding the blade into her left shoulder joint severing the muscle and tendons.

Nora pushed me away causing me to leave the blade in her shoulder as Ren let out a scream and rushed me with his dagger. I grabbed his arm and flipped him over hard onto his back and pulled a knife from my coat and went to thrust it into his heart. Just as I thrust downwards a shot was fired blowing the knife from my hand. I looked up and instantly my head began swimming running towards me was the black, white, and yellow trio from just a week before.

POV BLAKE

After leaving Ozpin's office Yang Weiss and I ran off towards the sound off battle, thanks to my enhanced hearing from being a Faunus I could hear the distinct sound of five people fighting. As we drew nearer to the fight I began picking up the smell of blood and just as we rounded a corner I came to a halt filled with fear.

Kneeling on the ground was Nora covered in blood with a knife sticking out of her shoulder. Ren was laying on the ground next to her equally covered in blood with a redhaired assassin standing above him. I quickly pulled Gambol shroud from its sheath and pulled the slide of the pistol back chambering a round. The assassin pulled a knife from her coat and thrust down at Ren with it, aiming as quickly as I could I fired around at her hoping to stop the blade. The sound of metal hitting metal filled my ears as the bullet's aim stayed true and knocked the knife from the shooters hand making her look up in surprise.

Yang and Weiss rushed past me pulling out their own weapons and charged at the assassin as she jumped up in surprise and pulled out her sword. I stood dumbfounded as Yang and Weiss took the assassin on but where being battered back unable to deal with the assassins speed.

Hearing a groan from Ren made me jump back to reality as I rushed into the fray of the fight blocking a sword strike giving Weiss time to jump back. "Weiss you're are medic, get Nora and Ren to some cover and treat them!" Weiss gave a quick nod and picked up Ren and helped Nora to her feet guiding her to cover.

The assassin didn't seem pleased and began to push towards the injured duo but was stopped as Yang landed a blow to her side sending her sprawling. "Blake is it her, I need to know!" I looked at the assassin trying my hardest to say she was Ruby but with her face covered by the mask, I couldn't be certain. "I don't know get her mask off and it should be easier!"

Yang gave a nod as we both ran forward and engaged the assassin. Yang kept to her kickboxing style weaving through sword strikes trying to find an opening but kept getting lured in and ended up taking a few hits. I tried to my best to give Yang an opening but she was just too damn fast it was nothing like the last time I fought her. Any hint of hesitance from before was replaced but there was a difference between the attacks she landed on Yang and the ones she landed on me. Yang's would be dead if not for her aura I, on the other hand, would have only taken flesh wounds.

Changing tactics I pulled out Gambol Shroud's sheath and began duel wielding the two blades with using my shadow clones to try and get the assassin hoping that she would give Yang or I an opening. Luck was on our side as Yang ducked below one of her strikes and landed a hard punch to her side giving me an opening to smash my hilt into the assassin's head.

The assassin growled in anger and took a hard swipe at Yang making a rookie mistake. Yang easily dodged the attack and jumped in grappling her arm pulling hard on it. The assassin screamed in pain and relinquished her hold on her sword dropping it. "Blake her mask grab it!" The assassin looked in fear as I reached out and pulled on the metal mask covering her face and removed it.

Yang's grip slackened as an older version of Ruby's face appeared from underneath the mask. Ruby took the chance and pulled free from Yang's grasp, Yang did nothing as tears rolled down her face. Yang dropped to the ground causing Ruby to hesitate. Then Yang spoke through her tears in little more than a whisper. "Ruby Why?"

POV SILVER

Fear flooded my mind in disbelief as stared at the black and yellow pair in front of me. Ever since the raven haired women had shown up my mind had ached just like it when I'd attacked the Schnee. As we fought the pain grew worse every time I tried to hit her as if something was fighting me from the inside no matter how hard I tried to kill her.

My fear hit its peak when I let my pain and anger cloud my judgment and swung hard at the blonde in anger. Seeing my mistake the blonde jumped up close to me and grabbed me by the wrist with a grip stronger than steel. I flared my aura try to break free but failed as the blonde pulled on my arm stretching the joints and ligaments to their limits.

The worst came as the blonde cried out to the raven-haired women to remove my mask. I tried as hard as I could to fight but it became useless as the Raven haired woman removed my mask. It was not the fear of being discovered that I was afraid of but the fear of what I was underneath. Even though I was healed my mask was protection against others eyes and without it, I felt vulnerable.

When the mask fell off the grip on my arm suddenly released and I pushed away from the duo. I turned around and faced the women pulling a throwing knife from my belt, it was the last weapon I had other than my fist with Nox Atra laying out of reach and my tanto still stuck in the orange haired woman's shoulder. I expected the blonde to rush me but instead, she dropped to her knees and cried.

Then the blonde said something that made my mind almost shatter from pain. "Ruby, Why?" I myself dropped to my knees screaming, I tried as hard as I could to suppress the pain and tried to shove my head as far into my lap as possible. Flashes of faces crossed my mind, those of people I'd never met but each had a familiar feeling. The final face was a woman almost identical to myself standing next to a short blonde hair man with a goatee and a small blonde haired girl hanging off his shoulder.

Then it hit me harder than any wound I'd received, it was almost like somebody was trying to peel the skin from my body with a dull knife while pouring salt on the wound. Then it was gone leaving me with a single name. "Yang?"

The blonde stopped weeping and crawled over to me and pulled me into an embrace. "Ruby it's really you isn't it. What happened? Why?

I lifted from my head from my lap and looked into the lilac eyes filled with such fear, happiness, sadness, and confusion. The pain started to fill my head again and I tried to pry myself from Yang's embrace using all my strength. Yang let me go and I quickly scrambled back away from her. "Ruby are you ok? Talk to me!"

"NO stop calling me that! STOP IT!" Yang tried to get closer to me but an explosion shook the ground and a Jaune flew out from the alleyway into the main walkway hitting the ground hard. Cinder followed him out a few steps behind. Both of the two had been fighting and neither seemed to have come out on top.

Jaune looked drained as he stood up using his sword to keep himself from falling back to the ground. Cinder had a few cuts on her body from where Jaune had torn her dress and a large bruise on her face either from his shield or a fist hitting her hard. Both Yang and Blake leveled their weapons at Cinder each chambering around. The only thing that either said was a snarl from Yang. "Cinder!"

Cinder did her usual routine and lit a flame in her hand and took a few elegant steps towards Yang. "Oh, my did I crash your little party. I didn't mean to but this one was acting a little too stubborn to die!" Cinder looked over to Jaune who was now standing up without the help of his sword thanks to his large pools of aura.

"Now how about we end this party before it gets out of hand?" Cinder gave me a wink and I lunged forward planting a quick kick into Blake's unprotected back. Cinder jumped at Yang throwing a ball of fire at her engulfing the blonde in the wicked flame. I quickly grabbed Blake by her hair and held my knife up to her throat as Cinder laughed. "You think you could go against us. I've been waiting years to remove you little pests."

Jaune lifted his shield ready to attack Cinder but she summoned a glass sword in her hand and swung it hard into his shield with enough force to knock him to the ground. Cinder knelt over Jaune placing the sharp tip of the sword onto his throat laughing at him. "Things still haven't changed, have they. You still want to be the hero. Let me tell you a little secret, heroes never win!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that!" Cinder looked up as a yellow metal arm smashed into her face. Yang had stepped out of Cinder's blaze free of any harm. "How are you alive?" Cinder stepped back holding her in pain as Yang walked towards her cracking her knuckles. "It helps to have a semblance that makes you fireproof. Now let me show you a real FIRE!"

Yang jumped forward her eyes turning a bright crimson as her entire body literally erupted into flames. Cinder moved quickly summoning her glass sword and took the blonde head on. Blake fought against my hold on her trying to break free so she could join the fight. I pulled the blade from her throat and brought the hilt down onto her neck knocking her out.

I let Blake fall to the ground and scrambled towards No Atra where it laid on the ground. I quickly picked it up and turned towards Cinder and Yang. I held up my sword just in time and blocked a strike from Jaune. "Ruby stop this we're your friends!" I gave out a low growl and disappeared into a bundle of rose petals reforming behind Jaune. I slashed at his back but the man swung his shield back blocking my strike.

Jaune spun swinging his sword in an arc around his body quickly trying to bisect my body. I disappeared once again into a bundle of roses letting the blade pass through harmlessly before reforming and planting a fist into his face. Jaune stumbled back using holding the back of his hand up to his nose. "Ruby why are you doing this, helping the people we spent years fighting."

I attacked Jaune with a growl trading a series of blows. Jaune used his shield and sword to block my flurry of attacks but it wasn't enough. Slowly Jaune was being pushed back but he didn't seem to mind he was on the defense and as long as he could block my attacks he was good. Finally, once I'd pushed him far enough back I swung slower letting Jaune think I'd lost my stamina. Jaune fell for the move and knocked my sword down and stabbed at my chest with his sword. I quickly sidestepped and let him rush past me.

Jaune recovered quicker than I hoped and spun around dropping into a defensive stance protecting his body with his shield keeping just his eyes above the top of his shield. I looked at my sword and took a risk option and drew my arm back. I whipped my arm forward and threw the blade towards Jaune and dove for the object lying on the ground a few feet away from me.

Once I felt the rifle's grip hit my hand I gripped it tightly and spun on my knee aiming at Jaune. Jaune looked over his shield after using it to block the sword and crouched lower trying to hide behind his shield. Chambering one of the few shotgun rounds I had left in my clip I pulled the trigger letting the buckshot launch into his shield.

Jaune moved his way towards me slowly like a one-man phalanx keeping his footing as each round smashed into his shield. I was counting every shot knowing I was going to run out very soon. Finally, I fired my final shot, Jaune took the round just as he had before and continued moving. I pulled the trigger one more time hearing the heart-stopping sound of an empty clip. "Click" Jaune stopped his movement as I hurriedly looked at him. Jaune stood up resting his shield at his side thinking I'd accepted defeat as I lowered my rifle to the ground.

Looking up I cocked a smile and clicked a button on the rifle making the barrel extend into sniper form. Jaune took a step back as I clicked another button, this time a hidden chamber loaded a single anti-material rifle round into the gun, it was my secret move that I'd never had to use before. I quickly leveled the rifle and pulled the trigger. Jaune barely raised his shield in time as the round smashed into him. The round tore through his shield like it was made of paper and smashed into his chest flooring him to the ground.

I stood up and looked to the unconscious figure and frowned somehow his enormous aura supply still had enough in it to stop the bullet from killing him but it had done a large amount of damage sending a spider web of cracks through his armor.

Turning around I picked up Nox Atra from the ground and slipped into its sheath and shifted my rifle into assault rifle mode loading one of my last two clips I had. I took off running towards Cinder and Yang's heated fight stepping through the craters the two had made.

Yang and Cinder were in the middle of the courtyard throwing chunks of concrete around with each attack they made. Yang's eyes glowed bright red as she blasted a chunk of concrete to dust with her gauntlet and fire off a round with a kick of her leg. Cinder threw a wave of fire at the round melting it under the intense heat.

I stopped about a dozen feet behind Yang and began fire rounds at her flaming body. Almost instantly the idea failed as her semblance melted the rounds before they could even touch her. I slip the rifle onto my back and pulled out Nox Altra and burst forward using my semblance. Cinder saw me coming behind Yang and launched a new wave of fire distracting her. Using momentum by spin I slashed Nox across Yang's side making her yell in surprise and spin around on instinct.

I ducked under Yang's punch and activated my semblance twirling around the blonde hitting her as quickly as I could. I knew what her semblance could do and right now all I was doing was powering it up even more. Her aura, on the other hand, could only take so many hits before it broke and her semblance was useless.

Feeling the drain of the use of my semblance I disengaged Yang and fell back next to Cinder who was worse off than I was. Yang was fighting fire with fire and both were walking away burned but Cinder had already taken on Jaune who was a tank just like Yang. The only way we both walked away was if we worked together and ended this quickly. "Cinder do you remember when Salem had us practice on that ancient Ursa Major." Cinder gave me a nod understanding what I was getting at.

Yang didn't waste time knowing we were coming up with a plan and launched herself forward with her gauntlets. Just like an Ursa Major Yang was stacked with muscle and had an incredible defense and offense. However they lacked speed and could be taken out with quick attacks to their weak spots. Yang was nowhere as slow as an Ursa but she also wasn't as fast Cinder and especially not me.

Cinder and I moved quickly flanking to Yang's sides. Spinning Nox Atra I slashed at Yang making her block me while Cinder stabbed at her with a glass dagger. Yang stopped both attacks but I lifted my leg and planted a kick into Yang's side pushing her back. Cinder threw a punch but Yang sent her own kick into her gut causing Cinder to double over her Aura close to breaking. I dashed forward and cut Nox across Yang's back and followed it up planting a sidekick to her head.

Yang shrugged off the attack and activated her semblance once again and began delivering a new series of kicks and punches at me. Even with my semblance Yang was moving so fast that she was just missing by a hairs breath every time. The flames around Yang's body began to die out as her semblance grew weaker. I took my chance in between one of Yang's kicks and used all my body weight to slam into Yang.

The attack was useless and Yang grabbed me around the waist and threw me across the ground causing Nox to fly out of my hands. Yang turned her attention to Cinder who had just stood back up from Yang kick. "Give up Cinder I have you beat. If you do I won't kill you….Yet!" Cinder gave no response and activated her maiden powers using it as a last-ditch effort. Other than summoning fire Cinder had never gained full use of her maiden powers, it wasn't something you could learn overnight it required decades and Salem was not happy with that. Cinder practiced every day but she could only use her powers at full force for around a minute and after that, she was done.

Hovering above the air dozens of fireballs began spinning around her creating a shield as Yang let loose a flurry of kicks and punches fire dozens of shotgun rounds. Once she was done Cinder gave Yang a smirk and shards of glass summoned all around her combing with the fire turning them into globs of molten glass. Even if Yang was fireproof it was going to stop the deadly liquid.

With a single motion of her hand, the balls of superheated glass flew towards Yang making her duck and weave through the projectiles. Cinder let loose a laugh and began creating smaller balls of fire throwing them in waves making it impossible for Yang to dodge. Yang yelped as one of the balls hit her shoulder and burned right through her clothes and settled onto her skin cooling against her skin making the glass harden on her skin.

Time was ticking down for each woman as Cinder's aura was almost used up and more glass fell upon Yang's skin. Finally, the flames around Cinder flickered and died dropping her to the ground. Yang followed her as the smell of burnt flesh filled the air. This was my chance to end things as I pulled myself from the ground my body aching in response.

When Yang had thrown me off her I'd hit the ground hard and my aura was just barely working anymore I needed to finish my mission and leave. I headed over towards Yang moving slowly thanks to my aching muscles. I looked over towards Cinder as she got back up to her feet holding her side in pain.

A flash of black made my eyes grow wide as Blake came out of nowhere her sword ready to pierce Cinder's spine. Somehow Blake had woken up and waited like an assassin for her chance to strike at Cinder. Using the last bit of aura I had I launched forward entering my own realm of time. I could see the blade coming closer and closer as I ran forward. With one final burst, I threw my left arm forward in the way of the sword taking the hit.

Time instantly returned to normal and my aura broke as Blake's sword stabbed straight through my prosthetic arm sending sparks flying all around. I kept moving forward and pushed Blake to the ground landing on top of her. Blake cried out as I pinned her to the ground I looked up to Cinder who looked at me with shocked eyes. Behind her, I saw a group of armed men being led by Weiss Schnee running across the courtyard. My mind went wild and I did the only thing I could think of. "Cinder you need to run!"

Cinder gave me a puzzled look and turned around looking at the incoming group. "Silver I can't leave you. What about…" I struggled to keep Blake on the ground and gave her a quick punch trying to stop her. "Salem would never forgive me if you didn't return. Plus who would look after Kita and Ari." Cinder gave a single teary eyed nod and turned on her heel running away from the incoming group.

"Ruby why would you let her get away. She did this!" I looked down at Blake pressing all my weight on her using my left arm and reached for the rifle strapped on my back. I leveled the rifle at the incoming group and began firing the last of my clip at them trying to slow them down as much as I could.

Blake jerked under my body and thrust her hips up throwing me off her body and quickly jumped on top of me. Her sword was still on my arm and she thrust it down into the ground pinning me. "Ruby just tell me why!" I looked Blake right in the eye and gave her the answer she never expected.

"Because She's family."


	6. 6

**Before we get started I would like to thank you for all the support so far on this story. See all the emails coming in telling me about all of you that have followed and favorited is what keeps me writing. I would also like to thank all you have left reviews they are the only way I get feedback from you guys and I just love hearing your idea's. Special shout out to THB4 who has been giving me some great review that keeps me on my toes. Now without any more interruptions from me, Let's get back to the story.**

 **POV QROW**

Bring my foot forward as quickly as I could I smashed by boot into the set of armored double doors knocking free from their frame with a loud bang. Half a dozen guard immediately emerged from into the atrium I'd just walked into each holding a combat rifle with laser sights aimed at my chest.

I gave an angry scowl at the security team and all of them took a hesitant step backward. I reached my hand into my pocket making one of the guards jump but paid no attention to him. I let my fingers run across the smooth surface reminding myself why I was here.

Taking a step forward I pulled out my identification card and threw it at the guard farthest on the left. The guard was the only one not shaking in fear and he caught the card and began checking it over. "Hmph, Veteran Huntsman…...Always gotta be flashy with their entrances."

I gave the guard a scowl and swiped my hunter's license from his and slipped it back into my pocket still keeping my hand in the other. The other guards in the room slowly lowered their weapons and made their way back to where they been before I kicked down the door. Looking back at the guard and tried my best to not cave his skull in. "Where's Ozpin?"

As I stormed into the small white room it took all I had to not pull my sword Reaper out of its sheath and decapitate the smug bastard in front of me. Ozpin just sat at a small table drinking his damn coffee while staring at his scroll. Pulling my fist back I slammed it into the table causing the metal to bend inward from the force. Ozpin simply looked up at me and took a sip from his coffee cup. This was the worst thing he could have done adding oil to an already roaring fire of anger.

I lunged across the table smacking the coffee cup from Ozpin hand and grabbed my hand around the collar of his shirt pulling him up close to me. I forced Ozpin to look at me by holding him just a few inches from my face. "Where the fuck is she?"

Ozpin looked over to where his coffee mug had fallen and shattered leaving a growing puddle of the dark liquid to stain the floor then back at me with an unwavering expression. "I understand you're upset Qrow, but that does not give you an excuse to barge in here and make a fool of yourself."

I scoffed at Ozin and threw him back into his chair turning from him an anger at how calm he was just sitting there. "Ozpin I followed you for years doing everything you asked of me. Especially after what happened to Summer. However, right now I need to know if what Yang says is true. I need to know if she's alive."

Ozpin gave me a slow nod and reached over to his scroll clicking it causing the wall directly behind to turn into a mirror displaying a hidden room behind it. It was clear that the wall was actually a one-way mirror that looked into a cell. Laying calmly on the bench inside the fiberglass cell was none other than the late Ruby Rose herself looking almost identical to Summer due to the passing of time.

"I want to know what happened, tell me everything!" Ozpin gave me a nod and pulled up a video file showing the display of the CCT tower. "Nine days ago Weiss Schnee was targeted by an Assassin who fired at her from the roof of a building across the street from the tower. Blake Belladonna and team JNR gave covering fire to your niece while she got Ms. Schnee to safety. Blake chased after the shooter but was unable to apprehend them. A week later Ms. Schnee recovered and the rest of the team came to visit. They came to me and told me the same things they told you about the identity of the shooter."

Ozpin stopped turning to face the cell before looking back at me. I gave Ozpin a nod asking to go on about what happened. "Towards the end of our meeting, it just so happened that there was another attack her at Beacon. Team JNR was being targeted by the shooter and Cinder Fall." My gaze widened at Ozpin mention of Fall the same girl who brought Vale to its knees in a single night. The same girl who mercilessly killed hundreds of people and stole one of the most powerful abilities on existence. "What...How can she be back it's been almost 7 years?"

"I don't know why but she was with Ruby and the two managed to badly hurt Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie before your niece's team showed up. Weiss Schnee took Ren and Nora and applied first aid while Blake and Yang fought Ruby. Neither knew for sure it was her because of a mask she wore. During the fight, they were able to remove the mask and confirm it was her. The fight escalated when Cinder joined the fight, Yang was able to fight Cinder and almost stopped her but was unable to. Jaune Arc took on Ruby but was injured by her. It ended when Blake attacked Cinder and Ruby stopped her. Ruby gave cinder an opening to run and she did, escaping before we caught her."

"That's really it, Everything that happened?" Ozpin gave a nod and pulled up a file on his scroll and projected it up so I could see it. "When we captured Ruby we ran an aura test and confirmed it was actually her. We've had a few incidences so for and have not been able to interrogate her. However, know that we have her in a new cell we should be able to. I wish for you to join us." I gave Ozpin a nod and stood up looking into the room where Ruby sat.

 **POV Silver**

Sighting down in the small chair provided to me I looked at the two men sitting behind the glass wall separating us. I gave a displeased growl as I ran my prosthetic hand through my hair. After having it damaged during the fight I was given a new one that was deemed safe for a prisoner. It was nothing but nuisance moving too slow and having no power at all.

"Hello, Ms. Rose it's good to be able to talk to you after these many years." I gave the man another growl locking my eye onto his own eyes. "Ms. Rose, do you know who I am?"

"No, and I'm not sure why I should." The man gave a small chuckle at the joke and took a sip from a coffee mug. The man was all to calm sitting in front of me like I was some damn child. "My name is Professor Ozpin and I am the headmaster here at Beacon. My job is to train future hunters and huntresses to fight the darkness of the world. You where even one of my best students that ever attended this academy!"

I stared at Ozpin in disbelief at what he said and let out a light laugh. "You're kidding you want me to believe I was a student here at Beacon." Typing quickly Ozpin projected a file displaying a record of one of Beacon's teams. "Yes, in fact, you where I brought you into this school when you were only 15 years old because I believed in what you could do. While you were here you were the leader of Team RWBY."

Ozpin clicked on the scroll and displayed the images of each girl on the team as he read through them. " Other than yourself your team was made up of your partner Weiss Schnee, your sister Yang Xiao Long and Blake Belladonna." Ozpin stopped flipped to a final picture displaying the younger version of each woman myself included. I jumped up angrily and slammed my fist into the wall looking at the image. Every time I saw something that had to do with the three woman it made my head ache in pain.

"STOP IT. Stop telling me these lies. My job is to kill those people and you're trying to tell me I was friends with them. SO STOP LYING TO ME!" The man next to Ozpin looked at me as I screamed his eyes filled with unending sadness. His crimson eyes bored a hole right to my heart making my body quiver. "Ruby I am not the one lying to you. The one who has lied to you is Salem."

My eyes grew wide as I switched my gaze over to Ozpin's. "How do you know that name?" I gave Ozpin a scowl becoming angry at the mention of her name. No one knew who she was unless she wanted them to know. "Salem and I are a pair that has clashed before in the path and I know who she was and what she has become. She will manipulate anyone and everyone to do what she wants and destroy anyone who gets in her way."

My anger exploded all at once and I slammed my prosthetic fist into the fiberglass as hard as I could sending a spider web of cracks through it. The force of the blow caused the two men to jump back and some of the metal on the prosthetic to bend and warp. "DO NOT SPEAK OF HER LIKE THAT. SHE"S GIVEN ME EVERYTHING!"

Ozpin calmly sat back in his chair picking back up his scroll pulling up a file but did nothing else with it. "Ruby, Salem has lied and manipulated you. She is the person responsible for your injuries, and why you can't remember your past." Ozpin said nothing else and clicked on the file pulling up four video files each showing a different person's perspective.

I watched the video as the four figure breached into a building and quickly dispatched an enemy. Then one of the began giving orders, someone who sounded a lot like me. I cupped my head into my lap as the pain began to return. I tried to look away from the screen but couldn't as hard as I tried. My eyes were glued to it.

One of the figures moved off from the group and wiped almost a dozen guards while the other three followed a minute behind her. As I continued to watch the screen the videos began to change into one image. No longer was it a video but a memory.

I remembered running into a subway after fighting a group of men and then my head erupt in pain as the man Yang had fought earlier held a pipe in his and a bomb switch in the other. There was shouting and screaming and it ended when Blake shot the man and killed him. Then explosions began to erupt all around.I had jumped up to my feet and grabbed Blake telling her to run. I told all of them to run. We ran as fast as we could but it wasn't enough. The ceiling fell and I...I didn't make it.

I opened my eyes and looked up at the two men and stared at them wiping tears from my eyes. "What was that?" For the first time since they had walked in, I was actually interested in what they had to say and left the aggression out of my voice. "What...Was….That?"

Ozpin closed the file and placed his scroll in his pocket and let out a sigh. "That Ruby was the truth. That was the last time anybody ever saw you before you were presumed dead. The question I need to ask you now is very important. What happened to you?"

 _3 years ago_

The first thing I felt was pain all over my body. I opened my eyes and panicked as I looked around the room I was in. I turned my head as far as I could saw and saw the multitude of machines hooked up to my body. I continued to look around the room and couldn't recognize anything else. It didn't look like a hospital or anything I recognized.

I began to panic as I tried to remember why I was here...and I couldn't. I tried to yell for help but my throat was so dry it came at as more of a croak than a yell. Fighting the pain I sat up and swung my legs over the bed and tried to stand. The second I put weight on my legs they collapsed and I fell down to the ground. Instinctively I pushed out my left arm to catch myself but nothing happened. I hit the ground hard and rolled over in pain.

Something was wrong I tried to move my arm but couldn't feel anything, when I tried to move my arm nothing happened. Looking down to my arm I let out a blood-curdling scream even despite the dryness of my throat. Where my should have been was absolutely nothing. I used my right arm to grab at where my other arm should have been hoping this was some joke. I screamed again when my hand found that my arm was gone from the shoulder down. There was nothing left.

Frantically I clawed at the bed with my good arm and began to drag myself up to my feet as I did I began to panic even more. I felt my right leg touch the ground but nothing from my left. Even more frantic than before I looked down to my legs and saw what was missing. My left leg was gone from the knee down with a bandage securely wrapped around the stump.

I fell back to the ground and began to cry...I couldn't remember what happened...where I was or who I was. I just laid down and cried.

I had no idea how much time passed but I felt a set of arms wrap around my chest and Suddenly I was being raised into the bed. When I'd been settled into place, I opened my eyes and tried to find who it was that had helped me. I finally found the person standing in front of my IV with a syringe in my hand. The raven haired woman turned to me and gave a smile a single amber eye looking at me. "Don't worry everything will be ok." The woman plunged the syringe into the IV and I could feel my eyes growing heavier. "Don't worry everything will be ok."

Each time I woke up the Raven haired woman was always there. She was always so kind answering my questions as best she would feed me when I couldn't and helping me walk while I got the hang of my new prosthetics. The only thing strange was she would never tell me where I was. Only that I was safe. Eventually, I learned her name was Cinder and that mine was Silver.

As time moved on I was allowed to leave my room and walk around. Cinder was always there leading me down the hallway showing me around the castle she said I was in. Cinder said it was owned by someone named Salem and that I'd been rescued by her after an accident. I couldn't remember who they were but let it slide. If they saved my life then I was indebted to them. Eventually, I met more people who lived in the hospital the first was a girl named Emerald who seemed hesitant at first and her partner Mercury who was a jackass.

The next person I met was Hazel a large man who looked like he could tear an ursa in half. His look was the complete opposite of his personality. Hazel was a calm man who stayed quiet and only put in his opinion when he believed it was right. The rest of the time he was silent. Then I met was Dr. Watts who gave me some condescending comment about being helped by Hazel. Finally, I met the worst of them, Tyrian.

I'd been walking down the hallway and the man had rounded the corner chasing after some invisible object and slammed right into me knocking me to the floor. When I opened my eyes he was standing right above me just a few inches from my face. I could see the blood lust in his eyes as he chuckled to himself. "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't see you there….Did I hurt you?" Tyrian stuck out his tongue and licked the side of my face like a wild animal. "OOH, I like how you taste."

Tyrian let out a yelp as I fireball struck his side sending him spinning away from me. Cinder held out a hand and helped me up while scowling at the deranged man as he crawled away shouting "Stupid bitch!"

Then one day it was time to meet Salem. Cinder came up to my room that day and was quieter than usual. Cinder walked over to my closet and pulled out a pair of black jeans and a red shirt and laid it out on my bed. Then She grabbed a trench coat and placed it next to the pile. "Change into these quickly."

I gave cinder a strange look and began changing into the clothes. When I was done I rotated my shoulder trying to get a feel for the tightness but found them to be very comfortable. I pulled on a pair of combat boots and black gloves the stood up from my bed as Cinder headed towards the door. "Cinder what are we doing. Why am I wearing this?" Cinder walked back into the room and looked at me with a stern look she'd never worn before.

"Today you are meeting Salem. You need to understand she is not someone to be trifled with. You will only speak when spoken to and be mindful of you manners. Understood?" I gave her a nod and felt the fear build up in my chest. If Salem could make Cinder be on edge then what could she do to me.

"Oh before I forget take of your patch!" I looked up at Cinder and took a step back. I'd gotten over the loss of my arm and leg but never over my face. The accident had left the left side of my face with a mess of burns, scars, and an unusable eye. "Cinder I don't know...I."

"Silver You don't need to worry, just take it off and put this on. Hopefully, it looks better than that patch." Cinder handed me a box and I almost dropped it when I opened it. Inside was an elegant metal mask made of silver roses intertwined together. The silver mask ran along the left side of my face and connected to a large black section that would cover my scars.

I turned away from Cinder and began to pull off the current bandages that covered my face trying not to aggravate the scar tissue. Once it was off I carefully pulled the new mask out of the box and put on. I tightened the mask and felt it hug my face perfectly as if it was made just for me.

I turned back and smiled at Cinder who did the same. "Thank you, this means so much to me?" Cinder nodded and held out her hand to me. I took the hand and followed her as she led me through the large castle. For the longest time, I'd only been allowed to move around the west side of the castle. For the first time, I would be allowed to see the other side.

As we walked down the main hall I could feel the crushing weight of anxiety weighing down on me. Who was Salem and what was she like? Would she be angry with me or would she embrace me like a mother? Would she hurt me or love me? All these questions fluttered through my mind the only thing that kept me moving forward was Cinders holding my hand.

I almost ran into Cinder when she stopped before a set of large double doors that reached up to the ceiling. Cinder let go of my hand and I gave her a nod as she placed both her hands on the doors handle and pushed the doors open. I followed Cinder into the room and was surprised by the size of the room.

The room was giant making up the size of almost half the castle. Running the length of the room was a large hand carved wooden table made of a dark black wood. Dust crystals of all colors and sizes had been placed into the table each connected by a flowing web of gold veins. The walls solely made up of large glass windows over twenty feet tall each looking out into the unknown land around me.

This was the first time I'd seen the outside since I'd woken up and it was magnificent and terrifying at the same time. Stretching all the way to the horizon was a black land made of black jagged mountains and large purple crystals. The sky itself was made of crimson light the land seem evil. Above all of it was the moon shining down upon the black land with its pale like.

I stopped behind Cinder and paused in fear looking out to where the room connected to a balcony overlooking the dark land. Set in the middle was a black throne created from black rocks and purple crystals of the land. The air around me felt thinner as a figure in the chair stood up.

When the woman turned toward me I took a step back in fear of what she was. The woman had deathly white skin with deep red and purple veins running along her skin. Her hair was just as white as her skin and was held up in a pun with six offshoots with ornaments hanging from them. The part of her than scared me the most were her eyes. The white of her eyes were no longer white but a crimson color while the rest was a midnight black. To say she was human was almost wrong.

The Woman walked down the steps of the balcony her purple and black robe flowing behind her. The woman walked right up to me and placed a hand on my chin causing my heart to beat faster. "Do not fear my child I have no intention of hurting you. It would be a waste after I used my powers to save you. Would it not."

I stared back at Salem and gave a nod unable to talk from the force of fear inside me. "Good, the reason I called you here was to discuss my plans for you. I know of your ability to fight and I wish to train you so that you may become a warrior again. And in time you will be able to seek revenge on the people who did this to you."

I felt very confused at what Salem had said. I'd been told by Cinder I could fight but nothing about what had happened to me. "What do you mean by revenge. I thought I was in an accident." Salem looked and my and ran her finger of my mask. My body tensed at first but the feeling ended up rather soothing causing me to relax. "No my child what happened to you was no accident. You were stabbed in the back by the very people you called friends. I saved you because I saw something in you. Something I could use to take down the evil of the world. To kill the people who tried to kill you."

Salem's words ignited something inside me. Somebody had intentionally tried to kill me. They took away my memories, my arm, my leg, My DAMN FACE. Rage boiled inside of me because of this realization. I looked at Salem and Let the fire inside me burn through me with rage. "What do I need to do?"

"Ruby do you now understand that you've been lied to. Salem is not the woman she says she is." I looked at Ozpin and gave a nod. It was clear what he had said, everything had become clear. Salem had stolen my life away and taken everything. I wanted her dead.

"I understand but if you want my help I have my own demands." Ozpin nodded and pulled out his scroll ready to type away. "If it is in my power than I will do it." I gave a nod and began to think of what I wanted if I was going to destroy another life of mine in hope of returning to my old one.

"First I want to see my team, one at a time, I want to hear what happened." Ozpin nodded and began typing away on his scroll. "Second I want to be the one to kill Salem. And finally, I want to save my kids first and to have a full pardon for Cinder Fall."

Almost instantly the man next to Ozpin jumped up in anger knocking his chair to the ground. "Ruby you can't be serious. We both know what Cinder has done, she was Salem's main pawn. She's responsible for the attack on vale and thousands of deaths. Why save her?"

I looked at the man who had stayed silent through the entire meeting. He had said nothing but had gone through a rainbow of expressions the entire time I told my story. "You might not like it but Cinder is only a pawn just like me. She has been there for me the entire time and has saved my life dozens of times. Currently, she is the one protecting my little girls and I want them back safely. If you cannot do this I will never lift a single finger to help you."

Ozpin held up a hand to them man motioning him to sit down. "Qrow you may not like it but what Ruby says is true. She is no more than a pawn and if she is the means to an end of the Queen's reign." Ozpin paused and looked between the two of us before he clicked his scroll and the glass wall between the three of us raised up into the ceiling. Ozpin held out his hand to me and said. "If we do this then will you help us?" I took Ozpin's hand in my own and shook it. "If it saves them then yes!"

 **Don't forget to leave a review about how I'm doing. I love hearing your comments and suggestions.**


	7. 7

**Sorry for having this out two days but school decided this last week to try and kick my ass. So 2 papers and three tests later here this is. It was a little rushed but there are some really important things that happen in this chapter. So let's get this started**

 **POV Ruby**

I growled in frustration as I tightened my new prosthetic to my arm one handed. Ozpin had been able to get his hand on a new arm for me that rivaled my old one. Ozpin had tried to get a team of Doctors into install it but I'd been very keen on doing it myself. I'd done all the maintenance on my old arm and I would continue to do so.

With one final grunt, I turned the wrench and heard the sound of the red and black steel locking into place. A pain surged through my arm as the prosthetic reconnected to my nerves allowing me to control it. Letting out a sigh and began to run the prosthetic through a range of motions getting a feel for its capabilities.

Once I was done I grabbed ahold of my trench coat and swung it over my shoulder and pulled it on. I reached down to and pulled a box off the table and pulled out the gift Ozpin had given me. It was a simple leather eye patch made of black leather with a red rose in the middle. I slipped the eye patch on and adjusted it so it fit properly. '

A knock on my door grabbed my attention and I stood up moving across the small room and pulled it open. Outside the door was the man who had been with Ozpin during my interrogation. The man was tall standing over 6 feet tall with a head of spiky black hair with gray growing into it. His eyes burned the same crimson colored that Yang's did when she used her semblance.

"I take you'll be my escort when I move around." One of the demands Ozpin had for me was I was required to have a trained Huntsman with me at all times when I wasn't in my room. The other was I wasn't allowed to carry a weapon and that I would only be given one when it was absolutely necessary.

The man gave a nod and swung his arm out motioning for me to step out of the room. I did as I was instructed and stepped out of the room closing the door behind me. The man stepped ahead of me and led me through the building till we stopped in front of a door. "Weiss Schnee is waiting inside for you. Remember both her and I are armed and will not take any threat lightly."

"Understood, but before I go in I would like to know your name. If you gonna be my escort I would like to be able to say it." The looked at me and his eyes darted to the side for a brief second almost as if he didn't want to answer the question. However the moment passed just as it happened and his eyes locked onto mine. "It's Qrow!" Without another word he opened the door and pushed me through.

 **POV QROW**

 _30 min earlier_

Ozpin you can't be serious about meeting those demands. Do you understand what it means if you do? We put all of Remnant at risk!" Ozpin was sitting as usual at his desk flipping through file after file on his scroll with one hand while the other held his cup of coffee. "Qrow I know more than anybody what these demands mean. However, I also believe in people and what they can become. Ruby is a prime example of this. I believed she could become a great Huntress that many would come to respect. Though her path has changed she is still on it. If she believes Cinder is a pawn just as she was then I must have faith. If not what else can I have?"

I gave a sigh and dropped into the chair in front of Ozpin's desk holding my head. "Ozpin you know that Ruby means the world to me. More than anyone could believe, but if Salem has done something that can't be fixed….we could walk into a trap that could end worse than the Fall." Ozpin gave a nod and closed his scroll giving me his full attention showing he was giving me his full attention something he rarely did for anyone.

"Qrow I am one of the few people who knows your true connection to Ruby. If you can have any faith in the good left in her then please do. She will need your support in this even if she doesn't know who you are. She has a long road ahead and if anything goes wrong she will fall back into the dark. Only family and friends can save her."

I felt my face scrunch into a scowl, what Ozpin said was something rarely mentioned if at all. The only people who knew about it where Ozpin, Tai, and Winter. "Ozpin you may be right but we've talked about this. I can't tell her who I really am. It would destroy everything we have or at least had. She no longer remembers who I am. Salem has destroyed the Ruby we knew and has become something else. It hurts to watch the smiling little girl I knew be turned into this and know I'm powerless to help it. So what can I do?"

Ozpin stood up and placed his coffee mug on his desk and walked over to the large window that overlooked all of Beacon with the help of a cane. "Qrow just like a wound Ruby will take time to heal. It is not something we can rush if we do the damage may become unrepairable. All I want you to do is be there for her, support her and help her get through these struggle. If that is all you can do then that is it but don't stop trying. If you don't stop then neither will she."

Ozpin turned around and returned to his desk and reopened his scroll. "Now if you would be so kind I've run out of time and thanks to what has happened I need to speak with the World Council." I gave Ozpin a nod and stood up from my chair and walked over to the elevator at the far end of the large office and hit the call button. When the elevator arrived I stepped in and hit the ground floor button and turned to face Ozpin. Just as the doors began to close shut he shouted at me. "By the way from now on you will be Ruby's escort I will send details to your scroll." Just as Ozpin finished the doors closed and I was left speechless at the sudden information. It looked like I would have to stand by Ruby's side, literally."

 **POV RUBY**

After being pushed into the room I stumbled as I was still getting used to my new prosthetic leg and almost hit the ground face first. I stretch my arm out and was lucky enough to catch myself on the edge of a couch keeping my face from meeting the floor. I quickly stood up and was embarrassed to see Weiss Schnee sitting in a chair across from the couch. "Looks like you're still the clumsy fool from when we first started at Beacon."

I quickly walked around the couch and pulled off my trench coat laying it down on the couch and took a seat. "Hello Weiss, it's also good to see you can still be cold as ice." Weiss laughed and for a second her cheeks flushed a light red color bringing some completion to her flawless pale skin. "Yes, well time changes a lot of things but not everything."

I gave Weiss a quick smile but dropped my gaze quickly as the anxiety inside me built. I had wanted to meet with everybody from my team to ask about what exactly happened and to apologize. This was something I only had to do to Salem when I messed up over the past three years and that was a rare occurrence. "Weiss I wanted to meet with you for two reasons. The first is because I want to know what happened, why was I left behind, I want to hear from you."

Weiss seemed to freeze at the question and hesitated but she seemed to relax as I showed no hostile threat to her. "Ruby, I feel ashamed because of what happened to you. I was your partner and failed to protect you like I should have and I'm sorry. That day in the tunnels I was running with Yang ahead of you and Blake. We had no idea what had happened until Blake caught up with us and said what had happened. I'm so sorry I wasn't there."

At this point, Weiss began to break down and started to cry. I felt uncomfortable watching her cry seeing as she was stood as the leader of one of the Remnants largest dust distributors. "Weiss you don't have to say you're sorry. Right now all I want is the truth I've been lied to for so long that everything I thought was wrong was right. I accepted the truth Salem gave me and turned my anger to you, Yang and Blake. I shot you only two weeks ago and here you are saying sorry. I should be the one apologizing."

Weiss began shaking her head as she dabbed away the tears from her eyes with a handkerchief. "No Ruby, you don't have to apologize for that. You had everything torn away from you and no memory of what happened. If somebody came to me and said they had the truth I would believe them too. I'm just happy that we have you back." Weiss and I shared a smile one that was real and equal from both of us. It didn't last long as Weiss's scroll began to ring and she quickly answered it listening closely. After a few seconds, she placed the scroll on her lap and gave me a sad look. "I'm sorry Ruby but that is the SDC calling me I've put off a lot of work and need to speak with them. I'll call Yang and ask her to meet with you early. Is that ok?"

I gave Weiss a nod knowing trying to guess at how stressful things were for her right now dealing with me and the SDC simultaneously. "It's fine Weiss I understand just as long as we can talk again." Weiss nodded and knocked on the door which Qrow opened letting Weiss leave. I remained in my spot for some time waiting for Yang.

After some time passed I began to grow bored and pulled the glove off of my left hand and pulled a small tool kit from my coat. I began to fiddle with the prosthetics controls trying to fine tune as much as I could.

Ever since I'd woken up in the castle one of my favorite things had been working on anything mechanical. I'd spent months working on anything I could from simple machines to building my rifle. My rifle had been my favorite project I'd worked on from beginning to end. On one of my first missions, it had become clear that the simple rifle I'd been given was not going to cut it and I need to design my own. I need something that had range but could also be used in a wide variety of situations.

At first, I'd tried to design the weapon to be able to shift between different types of rounds by transferring the type of receiver is used. The idea had worked but wasn't practical since the gun weighed almost eighty pounds making it better to hit someone with. Finally, my idea's came together and I figured out that by collapsing the barrel of the rifle I could change the size of the gun's chamber to fit different rounds.

It took some time for me to figure out exactly what rounds I could use but I ended up settling on only three. The sniper used a 7.62 x51mm and the assault rifle form used a 5.56mm and the last form was a clip fed shotgun that used 12 gauge shells. Once my rifle was completed it was an unstoppable force that could take on any situation. I even went as far as to create dust rounds to amplify my destructive powers. In the end, the name Reaper was the perfect match for this deadly weapon.

"Ruby are you ok?" I instantly jumped at the voice to my left and reached for a knife on my belt that wasn't there. I acted on instinct and grabbed the hand reaching out for me. I instantly regretted the action and quickly let go after seeing Yang's lilac eyes. I stumbled back to the side of the room and tried my best to utter an apology but it came out more as a sputter of incoherent noises.

"Ruby it's Ok I'm the one who scared you." Yang was surprisingly calm compared to what few memories I had of her. I remembered her as a hothead with a short trigger. She used to full of so much life but now something was missing. "No, I should be apologizing...I let myself act on instinct. I ..just need time to adjust."

"Don't worry Ruby I understand ...this is kinda weird...we all need time to adjust." Yang paused for a moment and pulled off her own coat and laid it on the back of the chair Weiss had been sitting in and sat down. "So what was it you wanted to talk about. I knew we were going to but Weiss made it sound important."

"I wanted to talk to all of you for various reason because I wanted to know what happened to me. I need to know the truth if I'm going to help you stop Salem. I can't be lied to again." Yang stayed quiet and looked almost angry because of what I said. It was clear as her eye refused to meet mine that is was an anger derived from disappointment.

"Ruby you're my sister and I have no intention of lying to you, but there are things I've done and am not proud of that I don't like to talk about. I thought you died and it destroyed me, I hurt everyone around me and I'm not proud of myself for it. I hate myself because of it." I could see the hurt radiating from Yang as she stared down at the ground keeping them stuck to a single spot unmoving.

"Yang I don't know what happened to you but I can say I feel the same. I'm still angry at...everything and everybody. But I'm trying to keep myself by being blinded by it. I did things that would make you see me as more of a monster than the Grimm." Yang looked up to me in disbelief at what I said not understanding how much evil I created in this world.

"Ruby...you don't understand I've killed people...I destroyed the White Fang almost single handedly. I did that because of the pain of losing you, it was stupid and I could have died myself." Yang was crying and wiped her sleeve across her face trying to get rid of the tears. She was hurt by this but she didn't understand she did not destroy the White Fang. She merely got rid of the few small groups left after I was done with them.

"Yang….You didn't destroy the White Fang…." Yang looked up and looked at me with a confused. "Ruby I took out almost a dozen bases. What do you mean?" I sucked in a breath of air feeling as if the room around me was closing in. "You only destroyed the few bases left. One of my main missions was to remove all remains of anything tied to Cinder or Salem. I've killed hundreds of people if not thousands for Salem. Anything you are ashamed of I've done worse. I've tortured people I've killed Mother, Father, Sons, and Daughters. I've pulled beating hearts out of chests and bitten into people. I have only done one redeemable thing in all the time I was gone. So please do not feel sorry for yourself because if you do then I don't know what I should think of myself."

Yang was terrified of what I said I was her sister and I just told her I killed people in brutally disturbing ways and that I was a demon from hell itself. "Ruby I don't care what you've done. You'll always be my sister and I will never leave because of the things you've done. We both have done terrible things even if the amount is different. We need to move on and look forward….together."

It was m turn to burst into tears after what Yang said. She forgave me for what I did, I always thought it would be something that would drive everyone I knew away. It was one of the reasons I felt so comfortable with Cinder. Yang jumped up from her chair and grabbed my shoulder pulling my head into her shoulder. We stayed like for some time as I cried and sobbed until I couldn't and I simply ran out of tears to cry. "Ruby, can I ask you something?"

I slowly pulled myself out from Yang's shoulder and slowly looked about at her in fear of her question. I gave a slow nod. "What was is the one redeemable thing you've done that you mentioned….that is if you want to tell me?" Relief rushed over my body relaxing as the fear of the question disappeared. It didn't last long as the fear flung back twice as strong under the realization I had to tell Yang about my daughters.

"This is gonna sound really strange but the only redeemable things I've done is raising my daughters." Yang nodded at the answer not really take it in until she stopped mid nod and locked her eyes with mine. Yang's eyes focused in and out as she tried to completely process what I was saying while her mind ran at a hundred miles per hour. ""Wait what?...How?...You?...Who's the father?"

" What I don't know." I regretted by response instantly after I blurted it out without a single thought other than to answer one of Yang's many questions. Yang began to grow bright red making my own skin do the same. "That's not what I meant...there...adopted." Yang let out a large sigh of relief and wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. "Damn Rubes you scared me...I thought I was gonna have to hurt someone."

I smiled at Yang over her protectiveness as a memory popped into my head when Yang had beaten a boy up after he'd given me a bouquet of flowers. "So uhm how did that happen?"

"It was during a mission, I was supposed to get rid of a group of that was trafficking large amounts of Faunus. When I got to the location everybody was dead because the dumbasses tried to catch an Alpha Beowulf and sell it. I ended finding the girls hiding in a cabinet almost starved to death and terrified. I couldn't leave them there so I brought them with me."

"I know exactly what that's like well except for the adopting part. While you were gone Jaune and I spent some time breaking apart human trafficking groups led by the White Fang. It was pretty bad." Yang paused for a moment a moment and smiled. "So what do my nieces look like?"

My eyes perked up and I grabbed my coat pulling a picture out from one of the pockets. It was the only physical copy I had of the twins, all the others were on my scroll and had been confiscated along side my weapon. I handed the picture to Yang and watched as she looked at her nieces. "The taller one's name is Ari and the other is Kita." Yang's eyes were filled with pride as she looked at the two girls yearning to learn who they were and what they were like. Then in an instant, Yang smile grew wider and she began to laugh. "Ruby I don't mean to make this weird but do you know who they look like?"

My heart began to beat faster as I thought of the possibilities to Yang's question, Did they look like a serial killer of terrible politician. Would my daughter be made fun of for the rest of their life just because they look like someone else? "I...I don't know...is it someone bad."Yang broke out into a full laughing fit gripping her sides in pain as each laugh grew more powerful. Yang kept laughing until her body couldn't laugh anymore and ran out of oxygen. "Damn Rubes I didn't think that would be how you reacted. You don't need to worry about that, just look at this picture."

Yang pulled out her own scroll and swiped through for almost a minute and showed me of a picture that looked almost identical to the twins. The girl looked to be around 4 or 5 and had long black hair with red tips and a pair of black cat ears. Lastly, she had a pair of bright amber eyes that shined like the sun. "Yang who is that." Yang held up her hand swiped through a few more pictures and pulled up another. This time when she showed me it was a picture of a younger me standing next to Blake and below was the picture of the little girl.

"When you two had your little...well I don't really know what to call it Weiss and I thought it would be funny to see what your kids would look like." I grew bright red and looked between the two pictures and Yang quickly. "We used an app and ended up with that. Who knew they were actually real and look even more like you two!"

My entire face grew red realizing just how right Yang was. Kita and Ari where an almost perfect copy of me and Blake combined. The cat ears, the silver eyes, and black/red hair. "Yang I...I really...I" Someone knocked on the door cut me off from my already failing speech. Yang looked at her scroll and in a panicked rush grabbed her coat and bolted to the door. "Sorry Rubes I need to go I'm late for a meeting and Blake is supposed to be here soon. I'll talk to you later."

Qrow opened the door and I looked worriedly as Yang Ran out in more of a rush than Weiss had. Panic picked up even more as Blake stepped into the room with bags under her eyes. Out of all three, I thought Blake would be the happiest to see me from the memories I had of her. Blake seemed almost afraid to be in the same room as me and almost hugged to the wall as she walked over to the chair everyone else had been using. Blake sat down in silence and it stayed that way until Blake spoke in a frail timid voice. "Hi, Ruby."

I stuttered back a quick hello and we continued to sit in an awkward silence as I tried to figure out what to say. I thought Blake would have been excited to see me alive and that Yang and especially Weiss would be upset. It looked like I'd hurt Blake emotional more than I could have thought. Taking a deep breath I summoned all the courage I could and spoke. "So...uh...did they tell you why I...I asked you here?"

Blake shook her head letting her messy hair move around her. "No, they didn't." I gave a slow nod and looked to the ground afraid to look at Blake. "Oh well...I wanted to talk about...things...and what happened."

"Ruby I really don't w…" I cut Blake off causing her to jump in surprise like I shouted at her. "But we need to. Blake, I don't remember a lot of things...Salem.. She messed with my head. I just want the truth I already told everyone else I don't want to be lied to. I'm still piecing things together...I just need to talk if we're gonna ever do anything together. Any of us."

Blake settled down and she relaxed in her chair but only enough to not look terrified she was still extremely nervous. "Ruby, do you remember any of the time we spent together? Because I do and I was stuck on those memories while you were...dead. Seeing you do those things...to our friends...I don't know...I just don't." Blake was not terrified just to speak to me she was terrified of me.

"Blake...I know of done terrible things...but try to understand I thought I was doing the right thing...I thought I was getting revenge on the people who hurt me. Do you know the pain I went through just to get here? I had lies in my head that changed the way I thought...who I was. I woke up without an arm and leg...without memories. I didn't know who I was. I'm sorry for hurting you and putting you through this but I...I'm still not sure what is right and wrong."

Blake looked at me with tears in her own eyes as I broke down completely. I hadn't told anyone how much all of this hurt. Being with Yang and Weiss I put up a shield of fake emotions but with Blake...I couldn't. "Blake you're the last person I wanted to hurt. Even when I couldn't remember you I couldn't hurt you. When we fought I had so many chances to...kill you...and I couldn't...I don't know that we can be whatever we were. I don't know what we were...but please try and understand."

Blake was even more terrified as I broke down more sobbing and crying like a little girl. Yang had comforted me when I cried earlier and now I wanted Blake to do the same. Blake didn't and she stayed in her spot unmoving as she watched me like I was some terrifying monster. She wasn't wrong I was one but I didn't want to be one. "Blake...please."

This was the last straw for Blake and she shakily stood up. "Ruby I can't...what you said about Cinder being family. I was your family so was Yang and Weiss and all of Team JNR. You tried to kill all of us. You turned you back and I don't know if I forgive that. The last person who did that was Adam and look what he did to you. I just…." Blake swiftly got up from her chair and walked towards the door she quickly pulled something out of her coat and placed down next to me before running out the door.

I just stared at the small package Blake had left. I slowly stretched my arm out and wrapped my hand around the package picking it up from the couch. I grabbed the top and pulled it open and reached in pulling out the content. Inside the box was a silver chain with a pair of rings on it. The first was a gold ring with Ruby in it and the other was a silver with a yellow sapphire. Under the two rings was a picture of Blake and I leaning on each other sleeping soundly. I gripped the rings tightly in my hand and began to cry remembering what they meant to me. They were a promise between Blake and me.

This was the final breaking point for me and I shattered into pieces. I held the rings close to my chest and I cried more than I had in my entire life. All the tears I had cried couldn't compare to the pain I was feeling now. I lost the person I loved most in the world. I crumpled into the couch and cried. I let the world around me dissolve and let the pain envelop my body. It was too much.

Time passed and I felt a pair arms grab me and pull me up off the couch cradling me carefully. I buried my head in the person's' shoulder and continued to cry unable to fight even if I wanted to. The person carried my through hall after hall not once coming close to dropping me their grip like iron but still soft. I finally felt myself placed into bed and a hand brush away the hair from my face. "I'm sorry for all this it's my fault. I'm just happy to see my daughter safe." I listened to the words and like a child reached out when the person tried to leave and wrapped my hand around a piece of worn cloth holding them back. The man surrendered and sat next to me stroking my head. "Shhh just relax sleep." I did as the man said and let the pain fade and the embrace of sleep take hold.

 **If you want to hear a song that goes with this story look up Preserved Roses by Blackbriar**


	8. 8

**Pov Yang**

After leaving Ruby alone with Blake I walked out towards Beacon's airstrip and caught a ride to Vale trying to get there as quickly as I could. Weiss sounded upset when she called me not saying what the problem was. All she said was that something was wrong. And she wanted to talk at our spot. I waited anxiously in my seat clinging onto the handrail tightly. When we touched down I was the first off the airship almost sprinting into the city. I quickly waved down a taxi and flashed my hunter's license telling the driver to book it.

The driver nodded and floored the car and flew through traffic. Horns blared at us as we swerved through traffic dodging cars by indisputably tiny margins. In less than three minutes the driver slammed on his brakes and we slid to a stop right outside the small coffee shop Weiss and I liked to go to. I pulled out a few lien cards and handed them to the driver tipping him a very large amount. The driver smiled and once I'd closed the door zoomed off.

I walked up to the shop and opened the door the tiny bell on top dingling to let the staff know a new customer had entered. The man at the counter smiled at me and pointed to a booth where Weiss was sitting. Weiss and I had come here so often that the staff all knew our names and vice versa.

I stepped up to the booth and slid in across from Weiss who had her eyes pointed down to the table. I slid my hands across the table and grasped Weiss's hands in mine letting the warmth of my skin flow into her cool hands. Weiss looked up and gave me a smile filled with sadness making my heartache. "Weiss whats wrong you sounded worried on the phone." Weiss's eyes dropped again but she held my hands tighter grasping at for my warmth.

"It's my father he...he tried to take the company away from me...he said I wasn't fit to run the company after I was hurt...I...Am I weak?" I looked at Weiss trying to keep the fire inside me from busting out in rage I needed to stay cool for Weiss but her father did everything in his power to stop him. "Weiss you are anything but weak. You have changed more things within your company in less time than could be possible. YOu've actually changed the world, Faunus have right now and that's because the steps that you've taken."

Weiss started shaking her head and pulled her hands away from mine. "NO that wasn't me. I just told them what to do I didn't do it. I'm weak I can't protect anybody I...I let my own partner get taken away and I let my father control my entire life. I'm nothing." I stood up from the booth and sat down directly next to Weiss pulling her into a hug that she couldn't escape from and started using the voice I used when I needed to calm Ruby down when she was little.

"Weiss what is this about, you saying these things scares me. You're the strongest person I've ever met and if something is hurting you then I want to help." Weiss fell into my hug grasping my jacket in her small petite hands like a small child. "My Father he-he finally snapped. Not like that time, he attacked a Faunus...he finally snapped...He rolled into the SDC with his sword in hand and started breaking things and shouting about all my failures. About how he should have made Whitley his heir. They had to use force to stop him, right now he's in the hospital in a medically induced coma. I just don't know what to do."

"It's ok Weiss we can figure this out together. You don't have to do this alone. I will help you as much as I possibly can. Weiss you mean the world to me and I can't stand to see you like this. I promise I won't leave your side." Weiss smiled and used my coat to wipe away some of her tears. Then buried her head into my body holding me tightly.

 **POV RUBY**

A bright light began to flash over my eyes as the sun baked down on me pulling me out of my slumber. I grumbled and wiped my eyes trying to get rid of the sleepiness inside of them. I turned over and felt the body next to me shift. I opened my eyes and was met with Blake's bright amber eyes that shined like the sun baking down on us. "Hey, sleepy head did you have a nice nap?" I gave Blake a nod and wrapped my arm around her pulling her close to me. "I always sleep best when I'm with you."

Blake smiled and planted a kiss on my nose before she pulled my arm away and sat up. I grumbled and let out a wine before sitting up next to Blake. The two of us were sitting underneath a large tree with beautiful pink flowers that slowly fell to the earth like small delicate angels. Blake smiled and grabbed a package at her side handing it to me. "Here I made these for you. I got the recipe from Yang. I know I'm not as good as her but I added my own twists to them."

Blake nodded towards the package and I eagerly ripped the package open like a small child trying to get to his birthday presents. The smell of cookies filled my nose as I ripped the paper open and grabbed one of the baked goods and slammed it into my mouth. Instantly my mouth was filled with the taste of my mother homemade cookie recipe that only Yang had learned. The taste of the cookie and the chocolate chips flowed together with a hint of….strawberries? "Blake, did you put...strawberries in these?"

"I...I did...I know you like them….was it good?" I lunged at Blake tackling her to the ground and pulled her into a tight hug. "Oh Blake they are amazing...how did you even do it...there...there sooooooooo gooooood!" Blake laughed and pushed up on me flipping me over so that she was on top. "Thank you, Ruby that means a lot coming from you!" Blake got off of me and sat up looking out across the trees. I did the same and leaned up against her watching as the horizon shifted colors and slowly fell over the horizon.

"Hey, Ruby what is this?" I looked at Blake and realized she looking at a small package wrapped in a black paper. I quickly checked my pocket and realized it was the same one I'd been carrying and it had fallen out when I jumped on Blake. W-wait you're not supposed to open it...n-not yet." Blake looked at me with a smirk in her eyes and grabbed onto the red ribbon on top of it and slowly began pulling on it. "And if I want to open it what are you gonna do?"

Blake shot up and began running down the hill package in hand. I ran off after her using my semblance to catch up. I reached out and wrapped my hand around the package but just as I did Blake and the package burst into a puff of shadow thanks to Blake's semblance. I spun around trying to find where Blake disappeared to. I caught eh flash of black to my left and my eyes caught Blake flip up into a tree with a smile on her face. "Come on Ruby you're gonna have to try harder than that!"

Blake snickered at me and I revved up my semblance and shot forward my foot impacting the ground hard. I ran forward breaking the speed of sound and ran up the side of the tree clearing the distance in a heartbeat. Blake jumped backward and flipped around pulling the package close to her body. With cat-like reflexes, Blake landed on her feet and ran off laughing like a little girl. "Blake come on, this isn't funny!"

I chased after Blake using my semblance trying to catch but every time she used her semblance to dodge me by tiny margins. I was getting frustrated and continued to try and grab at her but only grasped at air. Finally, I had enough and dropped to my knees out of breath. Blake stopped in front of me and sat down with a smile on her face. "I take it I'm the victor then?"

"Blake...Please...Tired...Don't" Blake cocked a grin and grabbed the bow slowly pulling on it. "What you don't want me to open it?" With a quick pull and an "oops" from Blake the ribbon was pulled off and the wrapping paper unfolded. Blake examined the small wooden box made from a dark wood with silver etching that shined against the sunlight. "Blake please don't open it...not yet!" I cried out to Blake but she wasn't listening she was examining the box closely.

"H, I want to know what's inside!" Blake grabbed at the clasp on the box and lifted it up showing the black velvet material on the inside. Blake's eyes widened and quickly slammed the box shut. "R-Ruby W-what are these?" My face reddened and I slowly backed away in fear of how Blake was reacting. "Are these what I think they are?" Blake flipped back open the box and pulled out a set of two rings one had a gold band with a ruby set on top of it and the other was a silver band with a yellow sapphire set in it. Both rings reflected in the light giving off a bright flash each time the sun hit it.

"I...uhmm...Blake, you weren't supposed to see those...not yet!" Blake blushed looked at me with caring eyes that only came out in the most intimate of moments. "Yes!" I looked up at Blake confused. "What do you mean. Yes?" Blake grabbed my hand and pulled me close to her planting a kiss on my lips that lasted little more than a second. "The answer is yes." Blake held up her hand and slipped the gold ring onto her finger and the other onto mine. I reddened understanding just what she meant.

"Blake you're serious...your actually saying yes!...I wanted to wait to ask you until after we graduated next week but…." Blake had a panicked look on her face took a step back. "Wait Ruby did I ruin the surprise...OH MY GOD I'M SUCH AN IDIOT!" Blake let go of my hand and started running her hand through her hair anxiously. "Blake it's Ok I was just gonna ask you at the party Weiss was planning for graduation."

Blake stopped and grabbed the ring placing it back in my hand closing my hand around the small piece of jewelry. "I'm sorry Ruby...I'm sorry I messed up your plans...I'm sorry." Blake stepped back and wiped a tear from her eyes. "No Blake don't be sorry you don't need to be." I stepped forward and pulled Blake into a hug keeping her from backing up anymore. "How about this you keep the rings and we make a promise...we'll always be together and next week I'll ask you in person ok?"

I let go of Blake and placed both rings into Blake's hands and planted a kiss onto her lips pushing all the love I could into it. Blake returned the Kiss with the same passion before grabbing me and pulling me to the ground. I let out a yelp and fell down landing on my back with Blake on top. Blake rolled off of me and onto her back and the two of us turned to face each other. "Ruby I love you...and I will never stop loving you. You mean the world to me!"

I looked into Blake's amber eyes and knew I would always love her more than anything in this world. "Blake I love you too, probably more than you love me." The two of let out a laugh and Blake jumped onto me trying to prove just how much she did love me.

I shot up in my bed pain filling my head as I looked around the room I was in. It was the same room Ozpin had given me the day before. It wasn't very big about twenty feet by fifteen. It was large enough to fit a bed, a desk, and a dresser but nothing more. In the far corner, there was a door that led to a small bathroom with a sink, toilet, and shower.

I rubbed my head remembering the dream I just had..it seemed so real. I looked down to my hand and saw a glint of silver and opened it up. Sitting inside my hand was the set of rings from my dream that I'd given Blake. The entire night came crashing back to me, the conversation with Weiss and Yang then ….Blake. The dream wasn't a dream it was a memory I'd asked Blake to marry me and she said yes, then I broke the promise. I left her all alone.

Something shifted to my right and I reached for a knife I didn't have on me by instinct while turning to face the source. Sitting in a chair against the wall was Qrow dressed the same way, as usual, the only difference was there were bags under his eyes. "Qrow what are you doing here?" Qrow grumbled and sat up in the chair rubbing his eyes and yawning from the lack of sleep. "How do you think you got back here?"

I thought back to the night before and remembered being carried back by someone after I'd broken down after talking to Blake. I looked at Qrow and realized he was the person who carried me back. "Qrow why did you bring me back...you didn't need to." Qrow stood up cracking multiple joints in his body then shot his hand into his pocket holding something inside it. "Seeing as you still have no memory of me I might as well jump the gun and just tell you. Ruby do remember anything about an Uncle?"

I stared past Qrow and started to sift through anything that tied me to family something that acted as a reminder. Everybody I remembered had something stick out about them be it one or two things. When I thought about an Uncle my nose scrunched up like I was smelling something sour...like "Alcohol" I looked at Qrow and he gave me a nod.

"Out of all the things you remember that about me it had to be my drinking problem." Qrow reached into his pocket and pulled out a flask tossing it at me. I caught it started to examine it engraved into the metal was the design of mechanical eyes surrounded by a wing. "Check the bottom if you don't believe me!" I flipped the flask over and looked at the bottom and saw that there was a set of child's writing on the bottom in marker. The words had been covered in a protective layer of gloss so the words wouldn't wear away. I read the Inscription and recognized it as Yang and I's writing. " _Happy Birthday Uncle Qrow, This is so you don't lose your adult drink!"_

"You two gave me that when you were around four or five. I started drinking after your mother died and got in trouble with the law for publicly drinking. You two gave me that so that I wouldn't get caught as easily. It's one of my most prized possessions." Qrow's eyes dropped to the flask and he rubbed his thumb across the emblem slowly. "If you carry it around with you then why is it empty?"

Qrow's thumb stopped its motion and his crimson eyes tightened and became serious. "I made a vow after you went missing, Summer's death almost destroyed me and it almost ruined my connection to you...I love just as much as Summer...I knew I had to be better...not for myself but for you. Ruby, I've made mistakes...I know you have to but we need to learn from them and grow stronger. It takes time so don't rush things. If you do you can make it worse."

Qrow's eyes shifted from serious to sad making it seem as though I was one of his mistakes. I looked at Qrow silently taking in what he said. He wasn't wrong but nothing he said made anything easier it only showed how hard things were. Qrow noticed this and stretched out his hand and planted it on my head and rubbed it as if I was a small child. The act seemed childish but it brought back a calming nostalgic feeling."How about we head for the cafeteria and grab something to eat, we have a big day tomorrow?" I didn't give qrow an answer but stood up and followed him out the door.

 **POV BLAKE**

"So Jaune how are they?" My gaze shifted down to the two other members of team JNR each laying silently in a hospital bed their chest slowly moving up and down at an even pace. "They're doing ok, Ren got out of surgery yesterday and they finished the repairs to the tendons in his arm, Nora goes in later today to get the rest of the muscles in her shoulder fixed. The doctors said that they'll both be up and moving, completely healed by the end of the week." I gave a slow nod not really listening to what Jaune was saying instead I stared at the bandages wrapped around the various parts of the duo.

"Blake….Blake….BLAKE!" I snapped my eyes over to Jaune who looked at me with a concerned look his eyes locking onto mine. "Blake what is the problem, obviously you didn't come to just visit. I thought you would with her?" At the mention of Ruby, I cast my eyes back over to the two and back at Jaune and tried to make myself sink so he wouldn't stare at me. "Blake just tell me what happened...I can't help if you won't talk about it."

Jaune patted the empty seat next to him and I slowly sat down in the chair feeling the cold plastic press into my skin. I shifted a few times in the chair trying to get comfortable but gave up after struggling for almost a minute. Jaune didn't say anything but just looked at me with a calm gaze. "Blake from what I heard ruby wanted to speak to your team, What did she say?" I struggled to think about Ruby because every time I had to fight not to burst into tears. I took a deep breath in and wiped away a tear before it fell. "She wanted to talk about what happened...but...but I couldn't. I didn't let her talk I just I couldn't!"

"Blake what did you tell her?" I thought back to the day before and replayed the memory in my head for the thousandth time today. "I told her I was afraid of what she'd become, she hurt Ren and Nora almost killed them. Nora was one of Ruby's best friends and she almost killed her. This already happened to Adam….he turned into a monster and seeing Ruby...She was doing the same thing."

"Blake...I can't say I know what you're going through but the woman I loved was taken from me before I could show her how much I loved her. I know you loved Ruby and I know about the promise you made to each other. Even if things separate the two of you have to try. Ruby has done things she's not proud of I can tell as much. That was still Ruby you were talking to so don't give up on her. If Pyrrha came back and was alive I know I would."

Jaune words were like a sucker punch to the gut. What he said was true Ruby was alive and I gave up on her the first time I saw her. What I did could have hurt her more than anything. She admitted she couldn't hurt me no matter what she did. Ruby didn't have any memories yet she remembered me, and I cast that all aside and hurt her. My mind started to revert on itself when my eyes fell back onto Ren and Nora. Even if she had no memory she hurt them, she hurt Weiss, Jaune, and even Yang. "Jaune I hurt her I gave them back to her, she hurt all of you, how can I forgive that. She joined Cinder the very person who killed Pyrrha, she protected Cinder like she used to protect us. How can I believe she is still the Ruby we love and remember?"

"She isn't the Ruby you remember but that doesn't mean it's not her!" I snapped my head over to Ren who was sitting up in his bed while Nora did the same. "Ren when did you?" Ren raised a hand and grabbed a cup of water next to his bed and drank from it before clearing his voice. "I've been awake long enough to hear what was important….Blake, I don't know what happened to Ruby the only person who does is Ruby. She has changed yes but she has also come back to us. We cannot give up on her if we do she will also give up on herself. If that happens it would be something we would all regret...more than losing her in the first place."

Just like he always did Ren would go from being silent to saying something very wise beyond his own age, something he took time to think out. "Ren...how can you say this she..she tried to kill you...she almost did! How can you forgive her?" This time it was Nora who spoke after staying quiet which was abnormally unusual of her. "Blake, Ruby is our friend and we don't give up on friends. Sure she tried to kill us but hey we live a dangerous life and these things happen. If we got mad every time one of us got hurt by one of our friends we wouldn't have any. If Ruby is sorry for what she did then I'll forgive her it's what friends do!"

Nora had a big smile on her face that only she could pull off in such a situation. The smile was almost infectious as it made me feel relieved. Nora was right in what she said, Ruby was her friend and she was willing to forgive her if Ruby was sorry for what happened. Last night Ruby was trying to apologize for what happened, it wasn't her fault she didn't know...she literally didn't know and I blamed her for it. I gave up on the woman I loved because I was too scared to think clearly. I gave back our promise and possibly hurt her more than anybody could have. I HURT RUBY.

Jaune rested his hand on my shoulder causing me to jump but also relax when he used his soft gaze to calm me down. "Blake how about we go to the cafeteria and get some food. These two need some rest and I think I've heard your stomach growl louder than an Ursa more than a few times since you got here." Almost as if on cue my stomach let out a deep growl that i'd been ignoring since we captured Ruby almost three days ago. I'd been barely surviving on the small meals I'd had since then and now I'd reached my limit. I gave Jaune a quick nod and we both stood up and left the hospital room leaving the duo to rest.

 **POV RUBY**

"Qrow has anybody told my dad about what happened?" Qrow started to choke on the food he was eating and he started to hack and cough as he tried to get the food down so he could breathe. After almost a minute of cough Qrow finally caught his breathe and let out a large sigh. "Damn Ruby couldn't have asked that when I didn't have food in my mouth?" Qrow's reaction caused me let out a small giggle one that only ever came out when I played with the twins. Qrow cracked one of his smug smiles that I'd come to remember since we had talked this morning.

Getting my memories back was both a fast and slow process that was taking more time than I wanted it too. It seemed that my memories were locked up in groups each related to something. Once I'd had the biggest lock broken it was easier to break the other. In order to do so i needed to remember something or be reminded. When Qrow had told me who he was the memories had been unlocked and slowly the memories began to trickle back into my mind. It also wasn't like I instantly remembered the things it wasn't different. It was almost impossible to explain almost like riding a bike after not doing it for years. The memories just came back.

"So about Dad?" Qrow sighed and dropped his sandwich onto the table and grabbed his scroll. "Ruby your dad took your death the worst out of all of us. He loved your mother and you were the only thing keeping him sane. With you gone he fell into the hole pretty bad. He started drinking and even lost his job at Signal. I don't know how he would react if we told him you were alive. Ruby I'm trying to put this in the best way I can say but you've changed. I think he would be happy to see you but I don't know about his reaction to the new you."

Qrow's response caused me to drop my gaze in shame because what he said was true. I had some of my memories back and I knew what I used to be like and I had definitely changed. I'd become mean and bitter to the world, I became killer who took lives without a thought. I'd become something unnatural. Qrow could sense my mood changing and quickly tried to changed it. "So I heard you talking to Yang about those kids of yours. How about you show me them!"

Qrow's idea worked and my mind instantly shifted to my daughters. The only thing that had kept me sane was those two girls, they always managed to bring a smile to my face no matter what mood I was in. I quickly dig into my pocket and pulled out the picture I'd shown Yang. Qrow took the picture and I could see his mind working just like Yang's did when she had seen them. "Damn Ruby, Yang wasn't kidding about them looking like your's and Blake's kid's." Qrow cocked a smiled knowing how to get a rise out of me even if time had passed.

"Hey it wasn't intentional, I found the two of them during a mission and saved them after that I just fell in love. I don't care if they do or don't look like me or even if we have any blood relation...I love both of them." Qrow smile went from cocky to sweet instantly like a father who was proud of their child. "Damn Ruby that was the same thing Summer would say about Yang after Raven left...you really are just like her. She would be so proud.!"

What Qrow said made me happy beyond belief. I had memories of Summer and how awesome of a mother she was, to be compared to her was like being compared to a god. To say I was as good as a mother was worth even more. I jumped across the table and pulled Qrow into a hug and thanked him repeatedly while crying into his shoulder. Qrow struggled for a moment under my grip but eventually we both relaxed. More than a few sets of eyes fell on the two of us but I didn't care I was happy.

"So tell me about these two little rascals, what are they like?" Qrow handed the picture back to me and I held it tightly as my heart ached thinking about my kids. It had been a few days since I'd seen them and I missed them. "They're both the sweetest girls in the world and happy to do just about anything. Ari the older one is a great big sister like Yang and always looks out for Kita but sometimes she has too much energy and can get a little out of control. Kita on the other hand is very calm most of the time, but she also has an attitude. I love how they both like to rest their heads on my lap and let me rub this spot behind their ears that making them let out little purrs as they fall asleep. I really miss them."

Qrow gave a small nod and finished off the last of his sandwich before offering his hand out to me as he stood. "Come on little Rose how about we book it and go walk around Campus and talk some more. I put my left hand into Qrow's hand and he grasped the cold metal with the same delicacy he would a real hand and helped me stand up. Qrow's actions made feel almost normal for the first time in along time. He saw me as a person.

Qrow led me out the door and the two of us walked down the long path that connected almost all of Beacon together. We walked in silence instead of actually talking but it didn't mean the two of us weren't communicating. Qrow was taking me on a walk like he used to when I was little. He was trying to help me by remembering all the good time and it was working. I felt lighter than I ha since I'd come to Beacon.

The two of continued on the path till we completed walking around the entire school. The cafeteria was just a few hundred feet ahead of us and I stopped when another path connected to the one we were on. Walking along the path was Blake and Jaune, the site caused me to freeze and Blake seemed to sense it and spun around quickly locking eyes with me. "Ruby!"

I looked at the surprised Blaked and reached up to the necklace around my neck touching the two rings. "H-hi Blake."


	9. 9

**So I felt bad that the I missed a chapter update the last week so I decided to spend some more time writing and ended up being able to get in a second chapter. I would like to thank all of you who have left a review and I'm thinking about making some changes but not sure yet.**

 **POV RUBY**

"H-Hi Blake." The two of us stared at each other for what seemed like eternity both too scared to say anything. All the talking I'd done to Qrow before evaporated into mist and left me thinking about what Blake had said to me before. It also wasn't helpful that Jaune was there. I'd almost killed him during our fight. If Blake hadn't stepped in he would have been run through by my sword.

To my surprise, it was Jaune who tried to break the silence though it was like a piece of heavy steel. "Hey Ruby, Me and Blake were just heading over to the cafeteria for a snack. Care to join us?" Blake gave Jaune a panicked looked but settled ever so slightly after realizing what his plan was. I looked at Qrow who had a deadpanned look on his face but gave me a nod. "I already ate but...uhh...sure I'll come along."

I kept my hand holding the rings around my neck and followed the two towards the cafeteria. Qrow had to stay with me due to Ozpin's orders but he lagged behind keeping his distance. I gave Qrow a pleading look trying to beg for help but he just gave me his cocky smile and waved me off like I was some little kid scared to go talk to someone on the playground.

The three of us slowly walked into the cafeteria and sat down at a table in the back corner away from prying eyes. "Jaune what do you want to eat." Blake looked like she was ready to book it just looking at me and chose to sit in the farthest seat from me. "Just grab me a turkey sandwich and fries." Blake gave a nod and took off heading for the food line as if she was running from dangerous Grimm. Overall it was not the biggest confidence builder.

"So Ruby what exactly happened between you two, Blake told me but she didn't give me a lot of detail." Jaune's question caused me to freeze and lock eyes with him. "Uhmm I don't really feel comfortable talking about it." Jaune gaze hardened and he reached out with lightning fast speed grabbing my hand that was wrapped around the rings. I used my free arm to knock his hand away but Jaune did what he had planned to do. The necklace popped out from my shirt and laid out in the open so he could see them.

Jaune sighed and slouched into his chair rubbed his brow. "So she really did give them back. And seeing your reaction to it you remember what happened!" I quickly grabbed the necklace and stuffed it back into my shirt and scowled at Jaune. "What right do you have to touch me! I almost killed you and here you are acting like it never happened. Like I never left."

Jaune own face hardened into a scowl that rivaled mine and slammed his hands down on the table. A few groups nearby us tried to steal a few gazes but looked away in fear. "Ruby I was your best guy friend through school. You helped me get over Pyrrha's death and I've forgiven you for what happened. If I was in the same situation I don't think I could have stayed as sane as you have. Ren and Nora have already forgiven you so why shouldn't I."

For some reason, everybody was being the biggest person they could. No matter what happened they seemed to shrug it off like it was nothing like I didn't come back from the dead like I wasn't a killer. All except Blake. "How can you guys treat me so normally, I don't understand. Explain to me why you can!"

"Ruby you heard what happened between your sister and the White Fang, well I was there too. Between losing Pyrrha and then you, my best friend, I lost it. So what if I haven't killed as many people as you have. I still let my anger take over and I ended more lives than needed to be. All of us have a monster inside waiting to be unleashed but we can control it. So what if you hurt me I can take it. Just as long as you don't hurt yourself."

Just as Jaune finished Blake came back to the table with a tray of food in her hand. Blake silently placed Jaune food in front of him and placed a tuna sandwich in front of herself. Then Blake surprised me and slid over a small bowl filled to the top with strawberries. "I know you already ate but I still grabbed you something, I know there your favorite." Blake's gesture caused me to smile slightly as I grabbed one of the small fruits and popped it into my mouth.

The sweet juice of the strawberry gushed into my mouth and brought my taste buds to life. It was a rare case at the castle to have fresh fruit and only once in the past three years did I have strawberry this fresh. Blake own face had a hint of pleasure to it as she ate her tuna sandwich. It wasn't her being a Faunus that made her like fish since Ari seemed to despise most of it while Kita neither liked nor disliked it.

The three of us sat in silence while we ate our food, each taking their time to savor the flavor. Once all of us finished Blake collected the dishes and place them into a cart close by and sat back down. The silence continued to hang in the air and it started to eat away at me. There was so much I wanted to say and it was ready to burst out. I summoned all the courage I had and said. "I'm sorry!" (I'm sorry)

Blake said the same thing at the same time I did and it stopped both of us in our tracks. I'd been so afraid that Blake hated me and I needed to apologize but here she was saying the same same thing. I raised my hand trying stopping Blake before she could continue, I need to say something before she could. "Blake I need to say this, I'm sorry for everything I've done. I have no excuse for it and I'm sorry. I hurt all our friends and it's eating me away inside. If I'd known I would never have done it. The only thing I can do now is ask for forgiveness."

I felt like a small weight was lifted off my chest but it was only a little. Everything that had happened was weighing down on me and saying sorry didn't cover a tenth of it, but it helped. Blake shifted through an array emotions while I spoke, none of them where anger but she was upset, sad and even seemed happy if only a little bit. "Ruby, I should be the one asking for forgiveness from you, not me. Everyone else has forgiven you and you never hurt me. You tried to explain what happened and I wouldn't listen. I hurt you and I'm sorry for that."

I looked dumbfounded at Blake, I couldn't believe she was apologizing if there was anybody I thought I hurt it was her, but her she was saying I didn't. Silence returned as neither of us knew what to say. Jaune decided to be a mediator and loud out a quiet cough. "Seeing as you are both sorry for what happened it seems you two have made up am I correct?" Blake and I kept our eyes locked before we both realized what had truly happened. We both said we were sorry and neither had given a reply of forgiveness.

"I'm ready to make up if it's ok with you." lake gave a smile and a nod and this time more weight was released from my burdens. My hand went back up to the rings this time out of happiness rather than fear. Blake noticed what I was doing and looked at me a panicked expression. "Ruby are those...I didn't...you remember"

I gave Blake a quick nod and pulled out the two rings and showed them to Blake. "It took some time but it's not something I could forget. I know I've changed and we may not ever be able to go back to what we were. However I…."

Just as I was about to finish what I was saying Qrow stepped up to me and stopped me dead in my tracks. "Ruby, Blake, Ozpin wants to meet us in his office. Jaune you can come too." Jaune accepted the invitation and we all left the cafeteria together. This time, while we walked Qrow, stayed back as usual but Blake and I walked closer than we had before. There was still some distance between the two of us but it was drastically less.

When the four of us reached Ozpin's office it wasn't a surprise that Weiss and Yang were already there. The sight that was a surprise was the taller and more voluptuous version of Weiss standing in the corner. It took me a second but I soon realized it was the person Qrow had told me about, his wife Winter. From the story, He said the two had always been at each other's throat but it was really a large amount of sexual tension that their pride refused to submit to. After being forced to spend more than a few missions together, after The Fall they overcame their pride and last year the two tied the knot.

The three of us walked into the room and took one of the remaining open seats. Qrow opted to stand next to his wife instead. "Now that we are all here we can talk about some very important things. Thanks to Winter, we have confirmed Cinder's location using Ruby's information. Tonight we will be making our move."

I looked at Ozpin shocked at how quickly this was happening. Cinder knew how to lay low and even being able to confirm that she was at the safe house should have taken days. I wanted to get my kids back as quickly as possible but this felt rushed. "Ozpin are you sure, Cinder won't leave without me, I think we have more time to plan!"

Ozpin gave a slow nod but pulled out an actual paper file and placed it on the table and opened it. Inside the file was the picture of a fast moving object but I could tell instantly who it was. "Salem's pawn Tyrian has been spotted on the outskirts of the Kingdom of Vale. He has yet to reach the city but he will arrive by tomorrow morning at earliest. We no longer have time to wait. If we wish to rescue your kids and capture Cinder then we must move now."

With Tyrian joining the game the entire playbook needed to be changed. Tyrian may have been a psychotic lunatic but he was an impressive fighter. From the experience I had fighting Weiss, Jaune, Yang, and Blake they would have trouble handling him even if they were together. Tyrians expertise was with fighting large groups of people. He used a mix of martial arts and acrobatics to cause mayhem to teams. Luckily I knew his style and could take him on single-handedly, this was why Salem preferred me as her go to assassin.

"Ozpin if we are moving this up it's gonna cause some problems. We haven't trained at all together and I don't think Cinder is gonna come willingly." Jaune was right, we haven't fought together for three years and things can change quickly. It also didn't help Cinder wasn't going to come easily. Salem had Cinder wrapped around her finger and only I could convince her and it would still end in a fight.

"Jaune is correct, In three years your skills have changed a large amount. Especially Ruby who has completely changed her fighting style. That is why you will have the next three hours to work back some of your team skills. Ruby you will be given back some of your weapons. Sadly due to the law we will be keeping your "special" dagger. Qrow and Winter will both supervise the session so please...don't do something stupid."

After Ozpin had finished giving us some final details the seven of us headed to the main training arena. When we got there Qrow gave me access to the reinforced locker that held my equipment. When I looked inside it was almost a sad sight. The only three things were Nox Atra, Reaper, and Thorn. To my surprise, somebody had taken the time and repaired the broken tanto to its former glory. When I picked up the blade a piece of paper fell off of it and I quickly reached out and grabbed it. " _Ruby you've been through a lot and it's time you need to remember you aren't alone. Things may seem tough but friends and family always look out for each other, don't forget that. Keep this blade as a reminder that just because something is broken doesn't make it unfixable."_

I stared at the not for what seemed like an eternity. There was no name on the note and I had no idea who could have wrote it. The words on the note were short but to me, they meant the world. I looked over through the door and saw Yang, Blake, and Weiss fiddling with their equipment. Yang noticed me and waved me over to join them. I took the note and folded it up and slipped it into my pocket. Whoever wrote it was right, I had a family again and I was going to fight to keep it.

I grabbed the last of my gear and walked out the door. I joined the three in the middle of the arena while Jaune, Winter, and Qrow sat in the stands watching. "So how we gonna do this?" The four of us stood in a circle looking at each other not knowing exactly what to do. It had been three years and Weiss, Yang and Blake had gotten used to fighting without me. We didn't really know how to fix it in only three hours. From the stands, Qrow stood up and held up his scroll and pointed it at the Arena's screen. "Hey, how about you guys get ready I'm not gonna go easy on you!"

We all looked at Qrow who gave a cocky grin and clicked his scroll. The arena screen turned on displaying all of our aura levels. A clanking sound came from the walls of the arena and the four of us put our backs to one another. I raised Reaper up in front of me and put into assault rifle mode and aimed it toward a door that opened up in the arena wall. Blake and Yang readied their weapons while Weiss summoned an array of glyph traps and laid them around the arena. If one of us stepped on them we would get one of her special effects but if an enemy did they would be met with a painful surprise.

The clanking sound inside the arena's wall stopped but we all stayed at the ready. No more than ten seconds later dozens of robots wielding swords, spears, rifles, and axes ran out from the multiple opening in the wall and encircled us. Almost if on instinct I started shouting out orders. "Weiss try and funnel them with traps towards Yang, Blake keep the stragglers from getting behind us, and Yang do what you do best!"

The three of them seemed almost shocked at what I said but didn't hesitate and jumped into action. Weiss summoned a glyph and walls of ice surrounded us with an opening large enough for only one or two bots to enter through. The wall was only a few feet tall and was low enough for me to shoot over but still tall enough that the bots would struggle to get over it quickly.

Yang took her kickboxing stance and Blake stepped away from us and prepared for the bots behind us that started to try and get over the wall. A large portion of the bots chose to take the simple path and started to flow through the open gap Weiss had left but quickly fell to the fiery blonde in their path. Weiss opted to keep a supportive role and continuously repaired the wall were parts began to weaken or to give Yang a boost. I stayed in the middle of the circle and pulled back Reaper's bolt chambering a round. Leveling red dot onto one of the bots head I pulled the trigger and a flurry of bullets blew it to shred. I continued to track bots after bot and each received a bullet through the head.

Even with a number of bots we had destroyed more flowed out from the arena walls and their numbers climbed from twenty to almost sixty. Were Ozpin got the money for all the robots was beyond me but right now I had a job to do. A flash behind me gave way to Blake standing by my side with a robot at her feet. "Ruby, Weiss can't keep this wall up forever, the bots are getting in and soon we're gonna be swarmed."

I looked up at the board and saw Blake and I's aura was at a 100% while Weiss and Yang's were in the low 90's. Blake was right with the number of bots we weren't going to last. Weiss could only repair a section at a time and the bots were hacking away at the sides. Yang was also getting hit the hardest out of all of us with a pillar of scaped bots around her. "Blake you're right we won't last long but I have an idea. Did we have any team or partner attacks that could take out groups."

Blake gave a nod and quickly explained the attack to me while I continued to blow the heads off of the bots. Once she was done I stopped firing and told Blake to get ready. "Yang, Weiss let them come in closer and when I give the call duck." The pair did as I said and backed off letting the enemy get closer. "Blake you ready." Blake gave a nod and transformed her Gambol shroud into kusarigama form. "LADYBUG GO!"

I quickly built up my semblance in my legs and shot off while pulling Nox Atra out of its sheath. Using my semblance I ran along the wall of ice but began to slow down. Blake saw this and threw out Gambol Shroud, I watched the ribbon fly towards me and quickly realized that the throw was off. Our years of being apart unable to practice together had caught up to us and a spinning blade of death was going to hit my side. The problem was that I couldn't slow down or else I would fall but even though we hadn't been together for a long time it didn't mean I didn't have a trick up my sleeve.

Activating my semblance I disappeared into rose petals and the blade passed harmlessly through me. Just as I cleared the ribbon I reformed and shot my hand back and grabbed the ribbon. Blake seemed surprised at this but pulled the ribbon tight giving me something to keep my speed up with. Pushing my semblance I ran faster and held Nox Atra over the wall and held on tight as the blade began to slice through bot after bot. Once I'd made two passes around the circle I stopped my semblance and jumped off the wall and joined my team.

The attack had done more damage than I had expected, leaving only around half the bots left but it had also damaged the wall more than I expected. Some of the robots walked up to the wall and simply kicked it in as if it wasn't even there. "Weiss give Yang a speed boost and Blake some dust for her clones. Keep the bots from bunching up and getting too close to the circle. Play it smart and don't do anything stupid."

We all ran out from the circle and took the bots head on. With the help of Weiss' time glyph, Yang was moving swiftly between punches and kicks blowing bots apart while Blake jumped and dodged bots leaving behind clones that when hit let loose different types of dust that destroyed bots like they were made of glass. I rushed in and blocked the swing form an ax-wielding bot and pulled Thorn from my belt and shoved it into its chest. I continued to wield Thorn in my left hand and Nox in the other parrying a blade while using the other to land a fatal blow.

The fight slowed down to a halt as Yang let out a yell and shoved her fist through the final bot's chest ripping out its power core like it was someone's heart. With a grunt, Yang pulled her hand free and the bot fell to the ground lifeless. Yang smiled and nudged the bot with her foot and smiled. "I think I broke it!"

I looked around as the arena walls began to open and a new set of droids that were painted black and yellow come out into the arena and began to pick up the remains of the robots. The four of watched as the team cleaned the arena in under three minutes leaving nothing behind. When the bots disappeared into the walls Qrow stood up and we turned to face him. "That was pretty good but you can do better. How about we turn up the difficulty? Qrow activated the arena again and this time, even more, bots poured out surrounding us. Mixed in with the regular bots were larger, sturdier versions that would require more skill to destroy. The four of us lifted up our weapons and jumped into the fray.

Once the three hours of training were up and Qrow was satisfied with our teamwork the four of us were ready to drop. In the three hours we fought, Qrow had continuously turned up the difficulty till we maxed it out. By the final round, the four of us were each down to around 25% aura and the mix of heavy and light bots was close to 200. The whole idea of this training was not to face large numbers but to learn to work together. The bots were weak and clearing the number wasn't that difficult. The difficult part was making sure we knew where the others were and using teamwork to keep the bots from crowding on each other.

The first hour went smoothly but as the numbers increased out teamwork became more stressed. Weiss was used to only supporting two people and summoned only two support glyphs at a time, this lead to one of the three of us being forgotten and in the end, Blake ended up taking a hit to the back of the head from one of the heavy droids. After that Weiss increased her focus and with some time she was able to support the three of us.

Yang ran into the problem of checking where all of us were when she threw her kicks or punches. Yang didn't notice me come up behind and to take out one of the droids that was sneaking up on her, Yang spun on her heel and I had to use my semblance to dodge her punch. Yang gave an apology but we just jumped back into the fight. Blake didn't have any big problems due to her fighting style of hit in run. The only thing that came up was needing to jump in between three people instead of two.

Out of the three of us, I ended up having the hardest time fighting as a group. Over the past three years, I had fought almost exclusively alone and it had increased my skill tremendously. At the same time it was also a skill that had never been applied to a group before and on more than one occasion I fucked up. I had to hold back in order to keep up with others and it was a strain, I wanted to push my semblance but if I did it would end in disaster for the others. I opted to try and lead naturally which worked most of the time the problem was I'd forgotten the team attacks which limited our abilities.

By the end of the third hour all four of had found our new spots and began working more like a team. It wasn't close to being perfect but it was better than it had before. If the four of us could keep this up we could handle almost any situation.

After changing and having my gear locked back up by Qrow all seven of us decided to head back to the cafeteria. Yang had asked to head to Vale but Qrow pointed out that I couldn't leave Beacon and so we opted to pick up some food and head to Weiss, Yang, and Blake's room. I was surprised at how nice the apartment was and how large it was. The apartment consisted of six rooms in total and was almost identical when split in half.

When we first walked in there was a large kitchen that had an array of equipment for cooking laying around. Across from the kitchen was the living room that supported a large couch and two lounge chairs. Splitting the apartment in half was a hallway that leads to the two bedrooms on either side of the hall and the bathrooms for each bedroom. Since Weiss didn't spend a lot of time at the apartment she bunked in Yang's room while Blake was in the other. Each was set up similar to our first year's dorms but were slightly smaller and had two beds instead of four.

The seven of us walked into the living room with food in hand and sat down. Qrow and Winter sat together on top of each other in one of the lounge chairs while Jaune took the other. Yang and Weiss sat next to each other on the couch leaving Blake and me to sit in the remaining spot next to each other silently. We all sat in silence and ate, too tired to talk after training. Jaune tried to get us to talk but gave up seeing our lack of enthusiasm. When he finished his food he excused himself and said he was going to visit Ren and Nora.

I quickly got up and moved over to claim his empty seat but Qrow decided to ruin it before I could sit down. "Seeing as you're all done eating how about you go try and catch a few hours of sleep. Today has been long and we're departing at 2 am and I rather not have you all sleep deprived. Ruby, I know Blake has an empty bed in her room so you take that. Winter and I will stay out here!"

I froze and looked at Blake who seemed just as displeased as I did. The two of us hadn't fully made up and it was extremely awkward, the hate and anger were gone but something was still holding us back. "Qrow that sounds like a good idea, Blake show Rub to your room while Weiss and I head to ours." Yang and Weiss practically ran off to their room while Blake and I stood slowly. I motioned for Blake to lead the way and I followed, slowly.

When we got to the room Blake opened the door and I wasn't surprised at all by the decor. The room was painted a deep purple and had bookshelves lining the walls all around. Each shelf was filled to the brim with books making it Blake's own personal library. "That bed over there is yours, I'm gonna go change so I'll be back in a minute."

Blake quickly disappeared through the bathroom door and left me alone in the room. I went over to one of the shelves and began to look through them. My eye caught upon a red leather-bound book. I pulled it out from the case and was surprised to find it had my emblem etched into the cover. The side was locked shut and I reached out to it when my finger made contact the lock popped open. Just then Blake walked in dressed in her yukata she'd had since I first met her. "Hey, Blake what is this?"

I turned around and showed her the book and a light blush appeared on her face. "That your diary from when we were here at Beacon, Yang had me keep after...that...None of us could open it since it required your aura to open and so I kept it on the shelf. Since it yours, you can do whatever you want with it." I gave Blake a nod and closed the lock on the diary and placed it on a desk I also added a mental note to read it, hopefully, it would add some insight to my past. I went back over to the bed and pulled off my coat laying it across the baseboard and pulled the covers up and went to get in. "Ruby, are you really going to sleep in dirty clothes?"

I turned around and looked at Blake. "I don't have any change of clothes with me, all the ones Ozpin got me are back in my room." Blake walked over to a dresser and grabbed a set of clothes and threw them at me. I caught the clothes and examined them, they were a pair of black cotton short and a dark purple tank top. After checking out the clothes I turned away from Blake and slipped off my clothes only leaving on my bra and underwear and slipped on the clothes.

The clothes were little tight and small for my liking, I usually wore long clothes to cover the scars from the accident because I hated to look at them. I hated wearing shorts for that reason because my robotic leg was connected halfway up my thigh to a mix of nasty, wicked scars. My arm was a little better and I'd grown used to the sight of it more through the past years but I always stared at them both with a hint of disgust, it seemed to prove just how broken I was.

I turned around after folding up the clothes after I took them off and saw a heavily blushing Blake. It took me a second to realize what I'd done and quickly reddened as much as Blake did. "I-I'm s-sorry, not really used to privacy...you know with the kids in all!"

Blake jumped back into the world and reddened, even more, noticing she'd been staring. "No...no, it's ok...I mean we used to live in the same room….Wait did you say, kids?"

My mind went into overload as I thought back, had I not told her, I thought I did, that was what this entire mission was about. "Blake...you don't know?" I turned around and bent over and grabbed my jacket and felt eyes on me as I did so. I grabbed the picture and gave it to Blake.

"They are why this mission is so important to me, When I was on missions Cinder was the only one I trusted to watch them and since we were on this one together we brought them with us to the safe house. That's the reason I made sure Cinder got away. Salem would have taken them and I couldn't let that happen!"

Blake stood dumbfounded staring at the picture with a thousand yard stare on her face. "R-Ruby do you know why I was so mad at you, the true reason?" I quickly shook my head saying no. "It's because of what you said when you let Cinder get away, I thought you two...you know...were together."

"W-wait you thought what….Cinder and I….no no no...Cinder and I are not like that. S-she's more like a sister. Cinder was the one who helped me get through things when I first woke up and after bringing back the twins, she's like an Aunt to them. I know it's stupid but Cinder is not a bad person just mislead, Salem has manipulated all of us...some of the things she said still linger in my head. Cinder is the same and if I can help her be good then I want to try."

Blake collapsed on her bed and held her hand over her chest letting out a large sigh. "Well, that's a weight off my chest. I really thought something completely different. Now I just feel stupid about everything." Blake paused and looked at the picture in her hand and a smile appeared on her lips. "So tell me about these two!"

 **To end this chapter I would like to put out there that I would like to have a beta reader to check somethings over so I don't have so many screw-ups. If you want to help my out send me a personal message and we can talk some more.**


	10. 10

**POV YANG**

 _2 years ago_

I pulled out four belts of shotgun rounds and slid them into place in my gauntlet and grieves. With a flick of my ankle and wrist, each primed a round ready to unleash destruction. I dropped down from the ledge that overlooked the large warehouse and landed with a thud. I had no need to be quiet because within ten minutes there was going to be nothing but rubble.

Flames licked across my skin lighting up the air around me and pushed back the dark of night as I walked towards the building. A pair of men walked towards me wearing black jumpsuits and a ball cap each with a hand in their pocket. The first man was tall coming in close to 6 and a half feet with large muscles the other was average height and lanky. The taller man stopped in front of me and pulled out a revolver from his pocket and pointed it right at my head. "Little Missy I suggest you turn around and leave unless you want this to be the last thing you'll see!"

I cracked a smile and looked up the fire going from tiny licks of flame to a raging inferno. The thug yelped as the flames licked across the barrel of his gun heating it up to a white-hot color. With a yelp, he dropped the gun holding his burnt hand to his chest. "You know I was just going to break some bones but now you've upset me, so how about we dance!"

I dropped into a crouch and extended my leg while turning and knocked the man out from his legs while the other fired his own pistol where my head had been. A shotgun round fired from my grieves and I was launched forward towards the smaller man in a flash. Cocking my fist back I threw it forward into the man while firing a round straight into his chest. Before he could let out a scream I grabbed his arm that was holding his pistol and pointed it towards his partner on the ground. I squeezed hard on his hand forcing him to fire the pistol into his partner's chest multiple times. Once the pistol was empty I let go and the man fell to the ground lifeless from the holes in his chest.

I turned away from the bodies and started moving towards the warehouse but the door burst open and a dozen men and woman in black and white White Fang armor ran out most wielding assault rifles. I cocked my arms back and primed a round in my gauntlet and threw a punch at the crowd of guards who looked in terror as an explosive shotgun round impacted at their feet. I flew forward not giving them enough time to get there bearing and threw a flurry of punches and kicks into the crowd.

Blood splashed on my face as a round hit its mark and split a guard's helmet and skull in half. I spun as another guard lifted his rifle and fired, I ducked below the stream of lead and smashed a fist into his gut where he had no armor crushing his internal organs. The bullets he fired had missed me and hit the two guards who had been unlucky enough to be in their way had each of them received a new hole in their chest.

I grabbed the guard as he was falling to the ground and threw him at a woman who had tried to come up behind me with a sword. The result was a 200 hundred pound man slamming into the 120-pound woman and knocking her to the ground head first. She might not have died but it wasn't something she was gonna walk away from.

Priming another round I dashed forward and caught a sword in its downward arc towards my skull and landed an uppercut into his forearm shattering it into a mess of blood and bone. I grabbed the man and pulled him past me and spun and high kicked another guard in the chin the round automatically fired and his head exploded into a fountain of brain matter as his body hit the ground with a flop.

The remaining four guards looked at me with a terrified expression like they were looking at a monster. Flames erupted from my body and I let out a scream that shook them to their bones. The four guards turned and began running as fast as they could abandoning their weapons. I reached down and grabbed one of the assault rifles and pointed it at the fleeing quartet. Bullets flew from the gun and impacted all around the group and with a shift of the rifles position began puncturing flesh.

When the rifle stop firing the fleeing members had holes throughout their body and each fell to the ground without a single breath. I dropped the rifle and let it clatter to the ground and made my way over to the door the guards had come out through.

I stepped into the warehouse and was surprised to find it almost devoid of life. This was the complete opposite of most White Fang bases, usually, hundreds of members ran throughout the large base moving weapons and supplies while preparing for their next move. This base was supposed to be on of the biggest one but it was dead. Box laid piled in corners and lights flicked faintly.

I walked through the warehouse growing more agitated as I came up empty-handed. Even the office was completely empty, all the papers had been pulled out and only a few pages that had fallen were left. I walked back down to the center of the warehouse and decided to check the last possible location, the sewers.

The White Fang needed a way to move quietly across Vale and they couldn't do that out in the open. Lucky for them the sewers connected every part of the city together without limits. The sewers become the lifeline of the White Fang and without it, they would have struggled to gain the power they had. If there was anywhere they would run to as a safe haven it was there.

It didn't take more than thirty seconds to find the large crate that was used to cover the larger than normal sewer entrance. With a quick punch to the side of the container, the opening was revealed and I looked down into the darkness below. "Just like rats to run for the sewers."

Tucking my arms to my side I jumped down into the sewer and hit the ground with a light thump. Without any light or the luck of having night vision like the Faunus, I activated my semblance and the flames that licked out from my body acted as a light source so I could make my way. I looked around and wasn't surprised to see my hunch was right.

The White Fang where clearing moving fast and became lazy leaving evidence that they had been here. I bent over and picked up an ammo box that was still full. No one would leave this unless they were scared. I dropped the box and followed the trail of things left behind, Sometimes the trail would go cold and pick up after a turn or two. As time passed the sewer began to grow bigger and bigger slowly opening up to a large room.

I quickly killed the flames radiating from my body and peaked around the corner where a large amount of light was coming from. The sewer connected to a large room that was a large circle more than a hundred feet across. Crates were stacked around the outside of the room and a barricade had been set up at each entrance except the one I was hiding in. A mg had been set up and was pointing right at my tunnel. It seemed they were expecting me.

Close to four dozen guards sat in the room each armed ready to fight. Reaching to my belt I pulled out two fire dust crystals and poured my aura into them causing them to light up. I stepped out of my hiding place and threw the first crystal at the mg and then the other at the largest group of White Fang. The first crystal soared through the air and a just as the gunner noticed me the crystal smashed into the ground behind the gunner and burst into a large ball of flame killing the Faunus and melting the gun. The second crystal hit a White Fang female in her mask and detonated in a brilliant ball of flame that consumed more than half a dozen other members around her.

I jumped out from the tunnel and charged the closest group of White Fang and fired a volley of explosive shells into the crowd. The rounds impacted and the members standing too close to them either lost their limbs or life. The smell of blood and burning bodies filled the air making my nose scrunch up as I grabbed a man around the throat and snapped his neck then spun and fired a round from my gauntlet from into an ax-wielding dog Faunus blowing his chest apart.

I caught another's arm and twisted it forcing him to drop the knife as the bones splintered in his arm. I twisted him around and threw him and held him up as Faunus began firing from the other side of the room. Bullets began to impact into the Faunus and he was being torn to shreds as each bullet cut a chunk out of his body. When the group had finished firing I dropped the body and dashed forward not letting them open fire again.

I landed in the middle of the new group and began to rain destruction down with a mix of kicks and punch that broke bones, cut flesh, and took lives. No more than two minutes passed before I slammed a bear Faunus's skull into my knee and dropped him to the floor where the rest of the members lay some alive but many dead with blood draining from the bodies becoming one pool on the ground.

Blood dripped off of me and I activated my semblance the blood began to heat up and evaporate. I stepped out from the remains of the White Fang and walked towards the remaining group. Six White Fang huddled around a single figure who was kneeling down on the ground over a box. The large Faunus ripped the top off of the rectangular crate and reached inside pulling out a large chainsaw with large jagged teeth. The Faunus turned around and with one pull of the cord, the motor roared to life spinning the teeth at 90 miles an hour.

The Faunus stepped forward his white sleeveless trench coat flowing out behind him. The full face White Fang mask covered the Faunus and there was no clear sign of what type he was but it didn't matter I knew who he was. The Faunus had been the one to fight Weiss on the train during our first year during the breach. Weiss may have almost lost the fight and died but that was when we were young and still learning. This time it was different.

I raised my fist at the Faunus held his chainsaw in his hands the blade spinning slowly ready for more power. With a single yell, the Lieutenant rushed forward the chainsaw spinning wildly as he swung it across his body in a long slash. I kicked my left foot out and caught the weapon on the bottom of my grieves and fired a shot sending the weapon flying in the opposite direction it had come from. The Lieutenant held onto his weapon and used its new momentum to spin around and catch me on the other side. I jumped back as the blade slipped by just inches from catching my skin. With a quick pivot, I turned and slammed a fist into the Lieutenant's right arm blasting him back instead of turning his arm to pulp. It was good to fight someone with an aura.

I lunged forward and dropped to my knees sliding under the chainsaw and turned on my knee and shot a punch at the Faunus exposed back but instead, my hand met metal as his chainsaw split into two thin version each as deadly as the larger one. I leaned to the right dodging the first blade and blocked the other with my armored wrist before crouching and swiping the Lieutenant's feet out from under him.

The Lieutenant fell onto his back and rolled out of the way as I slammed my foot down where he was. He quickly got to his feet and began to block blow after blow I threw at him. The anger was building up inside me as each attack missed. With a burst of my semblance, power rushed into my body and I pushed myself farther. I could feel the Lieutenant began to panic as my speed and power increased past his ability to block me. The moment of truth happened when his left blade was slow by little more than half second and my fist hit him square in his chest sending him flying back into the small group of White Fang still alive.

The six remaining White Fang grunt's looked terrified as the Lieutenant slowly stood up. With a low gravely voice the Lieutenant pointed one of the chainsaw's at me and said. "Kill Her." The grunts didn't hesitate and opened fire on me with their weapons. With my semblance activated I stood right in the path of destruction and slowly walked forward. The grunts began to panic as I grew closer and closer their weapons doing nothing to stop me.

One of the grunts let out a scream as his rifle clicked empty and reached for the sword on his belt. I lunged forward as he pulled the blade free and ripped it from his hand and plunged it into his chest. I grabbed his body with one hand and threw it at the closest grunt and ran behind it using it as moving cover. Two grunts dove out of the way of the body, I pulled my foot back and swung forward and punted the closest of the two in the chest with a kick that sent his ribs into his heart. The other scrambled to his feet and pulled a pistol from his belt and aimed it at my head.

"You really want to do that." The grunt kept the pistol level with my head and as I dashed towards him he fired missing after I leaned my head to the right. I reached out and grabbed the pistol and turned the grunt at the other remaining White Fang and forced him to fire at them like I had done with the others outside. Once they were dead I pulled the pistol from the remaining grunts hand and pointed it at his head and fired.

I stepped over the grunts body and Lieutenant stood his chainsaw in hand staring blankly at the body of his men. With a loud clunk, the Lieutenant dropped his chainsaw and reached up pulling his mask off. "Just do it quickly, I've been waiting to die since the other bases fell."

"Fine have it your way!" With one single movement my fist flew forward into the Lieutenant's head crushing it.

I lurched forward in my bed sweat dripping from my body from the nightmare. My body shook as I looked around the room I was in. I held my hand up to my head the metal feeling cool to my skin remembering I was back at Beacon with Weiss, Blake and…..Ruby. I jumped out of my bed and reached for the door but was stopped by a small pale hand wrapping around my wrist. "Yang I'm pretty sure Ruby is fine right now you, on the other hand, you don't look so great.

I looked down at Weiss forgetting she had even been in the room. I slowly let go of the handle and walked back over to my bed passing by a large mirror on the way. Weiss was right I looked terrible my hair was a mess, my clothes were soaked in sweat and dark bags hung below my eyes. I moved past the mirror and sat down on the edge my bed looking over as Weiss turned on a lamp next to her bed the small light illuminating the room in a soft glow.

"So what happened?" I looked over to Weiss who was in her usual light blue nightgown her long white hair flowing behind her.

"It was just a nightmare nothing to worry about." Weiss jumped off her bed and stormed across the room grabbing my head and flicking it hard with her finger.

"Yang Xiao Long if there is anything I know it's that you do not have nightmares that are nothing to worry about. The first time you had them was after the fall and then again after what happened to Ruby. Do not try and hide this from me, I've spent enough time worrying about everything else that is happening and you are the last person I want to see in pain."

Weiss locked her eyes to mine and refused to look away keeping my own eyes from moving. When Weiss got serious like this there was no running away or trying to hide, either she got what she wanted or she just kept trying to force it out of you. In the end, she would always be victorious. "Weiss, I've told you before what happened with the White Fang. Right?"

"Yes you have but only little details. Yang if that's what this is about then it's not that bad. We've all killed people, it's what comes with this line of work it can't only be fun times fighting Grimm and saving people. It's the real world and people get hurt and die." Weiss reached out for my hand but I pushed it away shaking my head as a few tears fell from my face.

"No Weiss, you don't understand. What I did is nothing like that it's far worse. I didn't just go to the White Fang bases kick in some doors and bust heads and accidentally killed some Faunus. NO, I MASSACRED THEM. I went into the bases and slaughtered them like animals, most of them didn't even have aura. I walked away from those bases covered in blood and it haunts me because at the time I had no care for anyone's life, I took it away without a thought. Just like a monster."

I pulled my knees up to my body and buried my head inside them unable to look at Weiss. She was the SDC President, one of the most powerful people on Remnant and I was a killer. I didn't deserve to be in the same room as her.

"Yang, can I ask you something? How do you think Ruby feels after what happened these past years? You're her older sister and she needs you to be strong, I need you to be strong. Yes, you did something your not proud of but so have we all. Blake ran away for a year, Ruby became an assassin, and I became the very thing I despise most in the world. If you think any of us are proud of everything we've done then you're a bigger idiot then I could ever believe. Grow a pair and face it, Yang, just like the rest of us are, and when you need help we will be there just like you were for us."

Weiss finished her rant and reached out wrapping her small hand around my arm and pulled with a strength I didn't know she had. With Weiss pulling on my arm my grip around my legs loosened me knees fell free from their spot against my chest. I allowed myself to succumb to Weiss and looked into her bright ice blue eyes and mumbled a small thank you. Weiss didn't seem to hear it but didn't seem bothered by it.

"Now how about you go take a shower and when you're done go get Blake and Ruby, we need to be ready to leave in little over an hour and a half." I did as Weiss said and shuffled over to the bathroom grabbing my clothes on the way over. I opened the door and stepped into the bathroom and was about to close the door when Weiss caught let out a small cough to get my attention. "Oh, and Yang," Weiss looked at me and with a light blush on her face said, "You're welcome!"

I felt my face heat up and closed the door quickly and locked the door. I quickly turned on the shower and decided to do the one thing I never thought I would do. I was going to take a cold shower.

 **POV Ruby**

"Wait wait wait, Ruby, you can't be serious. How is that even possible?" Blake was at a loss for words bending over on the floor in a fit of laughter. Blake had wanted to know more Kita and Ari and it turned into the story of their rescue, to me becoming a Mom and finally stories about them.

"Nope totally serious, A few months ago we were at a safe house and Cinder had left and the girls were watching tv and saw a commercial about baking cookies. After an hour of them begging me to make some I caved in. Kita has very little patience for things and after I pulled the cookies out of the oven she sped by grabbed one and plopped it in her mouth. How she didn't burn her hand was one thing but her mouth was different. Kita screamed but refused to spit out the cookie because it tasted too good. Ari just stood on the sidelines laughing at her."

Blake laughter grew louder and she had to clutch her stomach in pain from the amount. "Ruby that reminds me so much of you during freshman year, especially on Ren's bi-weekly cooking day. I never knew how Ren could dodge both you and Nora while cooking, it seemed almost impossible."

Blake and I both broke out laughing again till each of us fell to the floor laying next to each other heads next to one another. Once our laughter died down the two of us turned our heads face one another our chest rising and falling from the lack of oxygen. "Ruby I missed this."

"I did too." Blake's eyes locked onto my own and I could feel the small distance between us begin to grow smaller and smaller. Blake radiated a heat that I felt drawn to, everything she did was smooth and flawless like it had been practiced a million times. Even with some of my memories still being locked away it no longer blocked anything about Blake, she was the key I'd needed.

A knock on the door caused both of us to jump and our heads to smack into each other with a loud clunk and a grunt from both of us. Qrow opened the door and looked down at the two of us on the floor cradling our heads. "I don't know what you two were doing and I don't care. Just start getting ready the Bullhead leaves in an hour and we need to be on it."

Qrow turned around and closed the door behind him leaving the two of us alone. I quickly flared my aura to ease the pain and Blake did the same. I looked over at the clock and saw that it said 12:00 if we wanted to make out move then the right time. "Hey Ruby I'm gonna go change in the bathroom, you can change in here if that's ok."

"Ya, that's fine." Blake nodded and walked over to her closet and grabbed one of her extra sets of combat clothes and disappeared into the bathroom. Once I heard the door lock shut I began to strip off the clothes Blake had let me borrow and began to replace them with my own. It felt good to be back in my own clothes the worn fabric against my skin and the heaviness of my coat felt like a warm hug. I quickly adjusted my hair pulling it into a ponytail while still having bangs that fell down over my eyepatch.

I walked over to the bed and sat down waiting for Blake to finish up changing. It didn't take long and soon Blake stepped out in her combat attire looking the same as the day I remembered her. "Ruby, what are you staring at?"

I quickly blinked my eyes and realized I'd lost myself in my thoughts. "Nothing was just thinking….since it looks like you're ready how about we join the others."

Blake walked over to the door and motioned for me to go first, I gave a small thanks and walked out of the room and followed the hallway down into the living room. Qrow was sitting at the small counter in the kitchen drinking coffee while Winter was sitting on the couch with Weiss and Yang. Qrow turned around and slid two small packages across the counter towards me. "We don't have time to eat anything big so both of you eat one of those, they're high in nutrients and will help your aura."

I grabbed the packages and tossed one of them to Blake who ripped it open and took a bite out of the energy bar. I followed in Blake steps and did the same and was slightly surprised by the flavor. It was by no means amazing but not terrible.

"Now that everyone is here it's time we make our move when we get to the bullhead I'll explain the plan. So let's go." The five of us followed Qrow without a word and continued to keep our silence even as we walked down to the airstrip and onto the bullhead.

As my hand wrapped around the handle on the side of the Bullhead, my chest started to tighten and my breathing grew short. My grip on the handle slipped and I began to fall back but was caught by Qrow who helped me up into Bullhead. "It's ok little rose, I know you're nervous just don't push yourself."

Qrow didn't say anything else until all of us were seated in the bullhead. "Ok listen up this is important, Ozpin has already contacted the Vale Police Force and the Huntsman Association, right now they are on standby should anything happen but our job is to make sure nothing does. Right now we are splitting up into two teams. Team one is Ruby, Blake and I while team 2 is Winter, Weiss, and Yang. The building Cinder is hiding in is a three-story concrete building in the slums. The Bullhead is going to drop us off two blocks away which is where the two teams will separate. Team one will move across the rooftops and breach from the roof. Team 2 will stick to the streets and breach from the main entrance. Got it!"

"Qrow I don't know how I feel about not being with Ruby, I'm her sister shouldn't I stay with her." Yang looked upset when Qrow said that the two of us would be on separate teams and the grip she had on the crushed metal in her hand supported this.

"Yang I know you don't like it but we need to move quickly and silently and you are not the quietest of people. Cinder will know we are coming and if she makes a run she'll only be able to leave on street level when she attacked team JNR you were able to take her head on and we may need you to do it again. This is a snatch and grab situation the first thing we do is secure the twins then we get Cinder, just remember we need her alive. Understood?"

The six of us nodded and the tension grew in the air as the bullhead began to descend downward. The copilot leaned out from the cockpit and tapped the mic on his head. "We're starting our descent ETA 2 minutes to drop zone.


	11. 11

**Here's chapter 11 I had it done a few days ago and I've been trying to get onto some kind of schedule to release these updates but with how things are I think I'm gonna try and go for a bi-weekly release. thank you to everyone who has left a review and or favorited/followed the story. Last things is I'm still looking for a beta reader. If you're intrusted just pm me and we can talk.**

 **POV RUBY**

The Bullhead quickly descended to the ground landing in a parking lot just big enough to contain the large aircraft. The Pilot gave us the all clear and all six of us jumped out weapons ready. When my legs hit the ground it felt like they were made of jelly and it took all I had not to collapse on the ground. Qrow appeared by my side and laid a hand on my shoulder giving me a reassuring smile. Mustering all the strength I had I pushed forward and Followed closely behind him as our two teams split off.

Cinder was no fool and knew that someone would come eventually, Salem would not let Cinder leave her as long as I was still in Ozpin's hands and had sent Tyrian along to fix it. It was unknown where he was right now, he could be days away, maybe hours or he could be inside right now. No matter where he was we needed to save Kita an Ari and capture Cinder, she was Salem's biggest pawn and without her, we would gain the upper hand.

"This team one do we have clear comms." Qrow waited a second for a response as a small amount of static filled the comms. Qrow clicked the mic again and repeated the comms check. This time almost immediately Winter responded confirming comms.

"This is team 2 we have clear comms. We are currently in position waiting 200 feet from the main entrance. We are ready to go when you make your move." Qrow gave a single click on the mic giving Winter a confirmation on the plan. Once he was done we slowly ascended the side of a small apartment building, when we reached the top we all slunk over to air conditioning unit and took cover behind it.

"The three off as are going to need to take different paths to get to the building. I'll do my own thing while Blake goes from rooftop to rooftop. Ruby how about you, I know you're good at infiltrating so just do what you do." Qrow gave a nod and ran towards the edge of the roof and jumped over it falling towards the ground. A second later a crow flew up from the ground gliding towards the safe house. I gave one look at Blake and activated my semblance letting my body collapse into a shower of rose petals.

Blake looked shocked at first but quickly understood what had happened and began to traverse the rooftops. Tonight was a windless night making travel easier but also slower, I slowly fluttered through the night sky just like a leaf. Slowly I closed the distance between myself and the safehouse. Once the roof was below me I quickly reformed and dropped down to the ground without a noise.

Qrow was already waiting by the roof entrance his sword drawn ready to attack. I pulled Reaper off of my back and clicked a shotgun magazine into place and collapsed the barrel down. I walked over to the door and stood on the door handle side ready to blow the lock apart. Blake swung up over the edge of the roof and quickly took her place behind Qrow Gambol Shroud in pistol form. "Team 1 is in position breach on my command, 3, 2, 1, BREACH."

I pulled Reapers trigger twice and two shotgun rounds burst out tearing apart the door handle and lock. With one swift kick next to where the handle had been the door popped open opening up to a stairwell. Below us, the sound of Ember Celica going could be heard as team 2 breached down below.

I quickly descended into the stairwell Qrow waiting right on my heels and Blake on his. I slowed my descent down the stairs as I reached the third leaning out to look for any signs of life. Nothing caught my attention and I slowly stepped out of the stairwell keeping my steps smooth and silent. The third floor had a simple design made up of a wide hallway with three doors on each side. I continued down the hallway and stopped spotting the light reflecting across something hanging above the floor.

Raising my hand we all came to a halt and I crouched down and began to follow the wire where it connected to the wall and ran up the side of a door frame. Sitting in the top right corner hidden from view was a large red fire dust crystal ready to detonate. Qrow slid up next to me and examined to trap thinking for a way to disarm it. "Ruby that's a pretty complex bomb, I don't think even I can disarm it."

I slipped Reaper off and handed the rifle to Qrow who took it and almost seemed surprised at how light it was. "We can't just leave this sitting here especially when we need to make a quick getaway. Also lucky for us I'm the one who invented this."

Qrow gave a concerned look but it quickly passed as I pulled a small tool set from my pocket after snatching it off the bullhead. The trap was of an extremely simple design but very hard to disable. If the string was shifted at all or the part tampered with the casing would collapse inward set off the crystal. The only way to disarm the bomb was to remove the top casing and pull out the crystal quickly.

I pulled out the smallest allen wrench in the toolkit. The wrench was slightly thicker than a piece of pencil lead but was also almost too big for the top casing. Sliding the wrench into the small socket I slowly turned it to the left. Even if someone was able to find the small socket they would also need to know what way to turn it. Turning it left would open the top casing while turning it to the right would detonate it.

Now that the top casing was open I carefully grabbed the back of it and slide the casing forward and lifted it up revealing the crystal inside. Using my thumb, pointer finger and middle finger I slipped them into the case slowly making sure not to hit the casing. Once my fingers had a grip on the crystal I used my semblance and pulled the crystal out of the casing as it collapsed in on itself.

Holding the crystal carefully I activated my aura and slowly pulled out the aura inside stabilizing the crystal so that it couldn't accidentally explode. "Ok we're good you can cut the wire."

Qrow handed my back Reaper then cut the wire running across the floor. Continuing our slow movement each of us lined up to breach a door on the left side of the hallway. Blake move first ramming her shoulder into her door breaking it open, Qrow moved next and I followed right after. Once the door was open I quickly checked the small bedroom checking the closet and all corner but found nothing.

All three of us shouted an all clear and came out from the rooms and lined up at the rooms in the opposite hallway. We repeated the same action as before and each breached the rooms. When I kicked the door open I watched as the door swung open and a wire was pulled free attached to a device on the wall directly across from me.

My mind went wild as I shouted for everyone to take cover and activated my semblance I reached out as the world around me slowed to a crawl and pulled the door shut. Just as the door closed the crystal detonated I rolled to my side as flames licked across the door and the explosion turned it into shrapnel. I braced my aura as the wood splinter impacted against my body bouncing off like a ball hitting the ground.

Smoke filled the floor as time returned to its usual speed, my muscles ached in pain from the explosion and the air had been knocked from my lungs but other than that I was not hurt. Qrow dashed out from the room he was in with his sword drawn ready to strike when he saw me he dropped his guard and began to look at me as I let out a groan. "It's ok Qrow I'm fine just a little sore."

Qrow let out a relieved sigh and held out his arm helping me up from the ground. "Thank Oum you're ok, We need to be more careful if anybody else had opened that door they'd be dead."

Qrow let go of my arm and a moment later I was spun around and pulled into a hug by Blake who looked terrified. I returned the hug but it didn't last long as Qrow let out a small cough and motioned for us to continue. Blake and I broke apart with a blush and I picked up Reaper from the ground.

Moving past Qrow we resumed our search and made our way to the stairwell opposite of the one to the roof. Keeping my eyes sharp I watched for any other trap and descended the next set of stair.

I slipped down the stairs into the large open second floor. The second floor was the central point of the entire safe house and was made up of a large kitchen and a massive living room and a dining room. In an open floor plan, the kitchen was on the far side of the floor and had a large island separating it from the rest of the floor. The dining room table and sofa had been used as a barricade with the island to isolate the kitchen from the rest of the room while the rest of the sofa had been quickly tossed down the staircase to the first floor acting as another barricade.

Qrow and Blake stepped into the room and stood on either side of me watching for any sign of life. From the far side, a figure appeared from the shadows and a thick wall of fire flashed across towards us slamming into us. I planted my foot behind me and took the impact head on brushing it off like it was nothing Qrow used his sword as a shield while Blake sent a clone into the wall creating a gap to jump through.

"I must say I applaud you for being able to survive the trap I had upstairs." Cinder stood in front of the barricade she had created twirling a ball of fire around her hand. "Now how about you two give up because I will be taking Silver back with me and there's nothing to stop me."

Cinder stepped forward her glass heels clicking on the wood flooring. The fireball in her hand quickly grew from the size of a tennis ball to bigger than a basketball. Qrow and Blake raised their weapons ready to rain fire down in a single moments notice.

Anger welled up inside of me as the people who meant the most in all of Remnant held weapons at each other's throat ready to draw blood. I dropped Reaper to the ground and pulled Nox Atra from its sheath and began to pour as much aura into it as possible. The runes on the side began turned a bright red but as more aura poured into it the blade began to shake unable to handle the amount of raw power. I pushed harder and small cracks began to splinter across the surface with a raw yell from the bottom of my chest I threw the blade into the ground shattering it into a thousand pieces.

Cinder jumped back in surprise and the fireball disappeared as a result. "Would you just stop it, I know the truth and about all the lies I've been told. My name is Ruby Rose and Salem was the one who tried to kill me. She lied and manipulated me like a toy just like she is doing to you. I came here to bring my daughters back with me and if possible you too Cinder. So please stop this and give up. Tell me where they are!"

From behind the kitchen island, two pairs of black cat ears poked out followed by silver eyes. Cinder was silent as Kita and Ari climbed over the sofa barricade and slowly walked over near Cinder. I slowly walked forward towards my daughters and dropped to my knees tears pouring from my eyes. Whatever fear Kita and Ari had vanished and the quickly sprinted across the room jumping into my arms their own tears pouring out in weak sobs.

"I'm so sorry for everything, I'm sorry for leaving, I just wanted you to be safe. I'm sorry, I love you so much."

I whispered quietly into the twins ears as the grip onto me not wanting to let go. Cinder stood where she had been before but all the confidence she had when she walked out had disappeared making her look small. I picked up Aria and Kita and walked over to Qrow who had sheathed and he sheathed his sword. I placed the two girls in his arm and at first, they tried to fight it until I told them who he was.

"It's ok this is Uncle Qrow he helped me and he will help you guys as well, I need to talk to Aunt Cinder right now ok."

Ari gave a small nod with a sniffle but released her grip on me, Kita still did not want to but I ran my hand along her head and down to her cheek giving the other a small kiss. Kita slowly let go and gripped Qrow's jacket tightly. Ari was more hesitant but seeing Kita do it she followed suit.

I turned away from my daughter trying to stay strong as I walked over to Cinder who looked at the girls as if they had been stolen from her. "Cinder please don't do anything stupid, I know the truth and I also know Salem has been lying she can't be trusted. Ozpin has given me a second chance and also promised you one too." I reached out and grabbed Cinder hand pulling it into my own even as she tried to fight it. "Please come with us I miss you and so will the girls."

Cinder demeanor shrunk even more as her brain began to go into overload. All the thing Salem had told her were fighting against what I was saying. Cinder knew about the lies I had been told but the relationship we had formed was real and Cinder knew it meant as much to her as it did to me. She just didn't know if she could trust Ozpin or anyone else.

"Silver… I m-mean Ruby, why? I lied just like Salem I helped do this to you. I' done worse I...I can't...they'll kill me Salem and Ozpin." Cinder tried to pull free from my grip but I held on and pulled her into a hug just like I did when the twins were upset.

"Cinder I've thought about things over the past few days and I don't blame you, I tried but can't. We can fight Salem together and Ozpin promised he would clear our names. I've done terrible things just like you have, I've caused pain and suffering but I'm ready to pay for those crimes. Come with me and we can do this together."

"O...Ok, I'll ...I'll come with you." I turned and gave Blake a nod and she slowly dropped Gambol Shroud down to the side, I could tell she didn't trust Cinder but she did trust me.

Just as I took my first step towards Blake the ground shook as an explosion rocked the building forcing me to the floor. I slowly stood up my legs shaky from the explosion. I turned to the staircase ready to run from the building until a figure descended into view.

With a maniacal laughter, Tyrian walked into view curved blades connected onto each side of his wrist. "HA HA HA HA HA. My Queen was right to send me, who knew both her main pawn and the toy would betray her. I'm just happy to be able to bathe in your blood."

Tyrian sprinted across the room and twirled through the air swing his blades in a circle. I dashed forward and pulled my tanto free from my coat and held it in a reverse grip catching his blades inches from Cinder's chest. I scowled at Tyrian and he jumped back doing a flip through the air. "Qrow, Blake, take Cinder and the twins and wait for me at the pickup. I'll take care of this."

Blake tried to protest but Qrow shot her a look and she did as I said. Cinder seemed just as hesitant at Blake but walked behind me joining the others. Tyrian crouched down and began laughing again as they left. "Once I kill you I'm gonna enjoy a fun game of hide and seek, it's always fun to play with your food before you eat it even if it's wrong!"

I slowly walked over to where Reaper was on the floor and picked it up slinging it over my back. "Tyrian we both know that I'm the better fighter and Salem's favorite. Salem is a liar and I will end her reign before she can hurt anyone else. So just lay down and die!"

 **POV YANG**

"3 2 1 BREACH." On Qrow's command, I fired a round into the steel door and the entire door flew forward hitting the back wall of the entrance. I cocked my arm back and another round automatically replaced the spent shell. Weiss drew her rapier and Winter did the same, Winter was the first through the door having the most experience than myself and Weiss at the rear.

From Ruby's information, she'd given us the first floor was used as storage and maintenance. The main entrance was a hallway that led off to the right and connected to the large storage section. The room was a square no more than twenty feet wide but it was packed with enough weapons, ammo, and food to feed an entire squad for months. Winter raised her hand and we all stopped, putting the tip of the sword to the dusty ground and touched a small mound sticking up.

"Cinder has placed traps all along the floor, we must be careful or else we may end up destroying the safe house with everyone in it." Winter used her sword to draw a circle in the dust around the pressure plate and poured her aura into it. Glyphs began to appear in the air encasing the plate and then set it off. The explosion was not very big and the multiple barriers absorbed the explosion.

"Step only where I step from now on!" Both Weiss and I responded with a quick step and began placing our feet in the prints left by Winter. Our movement was slow and every few seconds we would have to stop as Winter checked for another trap. It seemed Cinder wanted anyone foolish enough to attack her to die before they could get the chance.

Once we made it out off the room we entered another hallway this one with bright lights coming down from the ceiling. Winter moved t step forward and I quickly shot my arm out stopping her. Winter stepped back and I fired a shotgun at the lights turning the hallway pitch black. Small lasers crisscrossed across the hallway and I could a small wire connecting all of them before they disappeared into the wall. I grabbed a piece of metal lying on the ground and tossed it through one of the lasers causing a shotgun round to tear through the wall turning the metal to scrap.

For the Schnee's and their trained elegance, it would be as simple as going on a walk to avoid the lasers. For myself, it would be more difficult because of my size and lack of elegance. "Weiss you go first and find the safest route, I'll go second and Winter last."

Weiss confidently walked up to the hallway and studied the layout for a minute trying to decide on a path. I watched closely as she stepped over the first wire and began to weave through them like a ballerina. Weiss movements were flawless and undeniably beautiful as she weaved through the web of death waiting to claim her life.

Just as quickly as Weiss seemed to entire the trap she was stepping out of it with a graceful ease. "Yang it's best to stick to the left side after you clear the first set of wires, towards the end there's a spot that might be close but you should be able to make it!"

"Ya just take it slow!" I hesitantly walked to where Weiss had entered and took a shaky breath before lifting my leg and stepping over the first laser and ducked below the one above me. I slowly moved under the laser and carefully brought my left leg through after me. I quickly looked around shuffled along to the left wall with just a few inches between me and the next set of lasers.

"Ok, Yang for this next one do you see those two lasers that cross in an X to the left of that is a small gap. Go through it!" I followed Weiss's instructions and found the X and looked for the spot she mentioned. I found it quickly but was terrified by how small the space was, it was maybe three feet tall and a foot and a half wide. Easy for Weiss but not me.

Putting my arm through the space first I placed it on the ground while I pulled the rest of my body through. Putting all the weight to my arm I lowered down to a push up while my legs stuck out at a 45 degree from my body. Using all the muscles in my body I slowly pulled my legs into my body passing just an inch away from the laser. Once they were clear I returned to my feet and shakily took a deep breath. "Ok, Weiss what next?"

"Ok, Yang find where three lasers meet about a foot off the ground. The one on the right has the biggest gap. Make sure you watch because it comes out at an angle." I let out a sigh of relief seeing the size of the whole and quickly made my way through the larger gap in a matter of seconds. However, the next and final part was going to be a problem. In front of me was a giant wall of lasers without a single gap I could fit through.

"Weiss how the hell am I supposed to do this, I can't find a single spot!" Weiss looked at the wall and analyzed every laser trying to find where I could fit through.

"Yang I came through here but there's no way you'll fit." Weiss pointed to a small gap that she weaved through but the second I would try a shotgun would go off. "Yang how about here it's not big and you'll have to jump through it." Weiss pointed at a larger hole about four feet up from the ground around the size of the one I passed through earlier.

"Weiss I can only back up about two feet how am I supposed to jump through this, I might as just jump through the lasers! Or how about I just shoot myself ri…."

"YANG XIAO LONG JUMP THROUGH THE DAMN HOLE!" Weiss shouting made me stiffen like a board as she angrily screamed. "Well fine then!"

Backing up as far as I could I tried building up some of my aura in my feet and lunged into the air right into the hole. I shoved my arms forward like I was diving and my arms passed through. Gravity quickly began to take effect as my upper body passed through the lasers pulling downward. The world slowed down and I watched in horror as the distance between my legs and the lasers became smaller and smaller. My reflex took over and I tried angling my upper body down so that my feet would come through at an angle.

When my hand hit the ground I tucked my head into my body and rolled to a stop. I looked down at my legs and quickly checked for a sign of any injury I might have had but came out clean. "Holy shit I made it!"

Weiss looked down at me and held out a hand helping me up from the ground each of us sharing a smile. A hand was placed on my shoulder and I cocked my head to see Winter standing right behind me as if she hadn't even spent a second passing through the trap. "H-how you there...now here..I give up! Let's keep moving!"

I slipped past Weiss and walked down the hallway being careful to watch for any traps, as I walked I was a little surprised to find that there were none and at the end of the hallway was a staircase with an array of furniture acting as a barricade. "Hey guys I found the staircase to the second floor it's blocked by some stuff but it should be easy to clear."

I walked up to the staircase and was about a foot from the first when something below me shifted and clicked into place. I froze my entire body and didn't even breathe as Weiss came up to my side. She looked at me for a second and her eyes went wide realizing what happened. "Winter watch out Yang stepped on a mine we need to immobilize her leg."

Weiss didn't wait for her sister to respond and tapped the base of my leg with her rapier while using ice dust. The ice spread down my leg and onto the ground immobilizing my leg completely. I let out the breath I was holding and looked at Weiss who seemed just as worried as I was.

"Seems that we are in quite the situation, I believe Yang is standing on a gravity dust mine since it didn't go off the moment she stepped on it. We have to be careful because this is not something either myself or Weiss can contain with a glyph. We have very few options and most end up with you losing a limb."

I looked back down at my leg and began to panic at the thought of losing yet another limb, but I remembered during Glynda's class that gravity could be countered by something that could absorb it. "Weiss this is going to sound weird but I need to you to hit me HARD!"

Weiss looked at me as if I'd lost my mind but Winter stepped up and threw a punch hard into the middle of my back. I let out a scream as my aura absorbed the punch powering my semblance. "Winter what the hell are you doing to Yang."

Winter looked down to Weiss and threw another punch at my back. "Weiss do what she says, Yang needs to power up her semblance in order to have a chance to survive this. Now hit her."

Weiss gave a pleading look to me but gave into my request summoning a glyph and threw a fist through it. The resulting effect was Weiss's hand hitting my in the stomach at a speed only Ruby could comprehend. My semblance hit its peak point and my body began to glow red as flames licked across my body quickly melting the ice around my foot. "Weiss, Winter go down that hallway and take cover, once I absorb the blast I'll have to release it."

The Schnee sister ran down the hallway and once I saw they were clear I let out a scream and pulled my foot off the mine detonating it. The world before went white as the dust inside blew apart and gravity dust was released. The world around me grew heavy trying to pull to the ground before it would implode turning me to a bloody pulp. Pumping all I had into my semblance I began to absorb the gravity dust powering up my semblance with an absurd amount of energy.

I could feel the bones in my body creak as the pure energy coursed through my body becoming too much for me to handle. Using my arm as a way to channel the energy I cocked my fist back and let out another scream and slammed it down to the ground releasing the energy of my semblance. The result was a punch that could blow away a horde of Grimm in an instant.

The entire building shook from the result of my semblance and it took all I had to not be blown back by my own attack. The dust slowly settled to the ground and as it did Weiss and winter walked up from the hallway. Winter was stoic as she usually was but Weiss sprinted towards and wrapped me in a hug tight enough to stop my ability to breathe.

Weiss held me in the hug from my position on my knees while I was slowly losing consciousness from the lack of oxygen. Winter walked over to us and tapped Weiss on the shoulder getting her attention. "I'm glad to see that Yang is alright but if you continue to hold like that she will die."

Weiss face filled with panic and she quickly released her grip and fumbled backwards away from me landing on her but. Weiss quickly picked herself up from the ground wiping the dust off of herself while I caught my breath. "Sorry I was just excited to see that Yang was alive, how about we return to the mission and do our jobs."

Winter smiled and shook her head laughing soft enough that Weiss didn't hear and turned to face the staircase blocked by the furniture. Weiss held out a hand to me just as she had before and helped my up from the ground. I gave myself a quick pat down removing the dust from my hair and clothed before joining Winter by the staircase. "I'm going to use a glyph to push the break the barricade apart. When I do Yang rush in first with your aura flared in case of another attack or trap."

"I'm a little low on aura but I should be good enough to take a few hits. So do your thing Ice queen 1.0" Winter gave a soft laugh at the joke while Weiss quickly scoffed at it. While winter began summoning a glyph I leaned over to Weiss and whispered into her ear. "What's the problem Ice Queen 2.0 you mad that you're the better version?"

Weiss' cheeks blushed a deep red while I returned to my spot and got ready to dash up the stairs. Winter looked back at me and I gave her the go ahead with a quick nod. The glyph activated and a burst of air threw the furniture forward up the staircase and into the second floor. Once the glyph ended I flared my aura and charged up the stairs ready for a fight.

 **POV RUBY**

After letting everyone else leave it was just Tyrian and standing across from each other on the second floor. Tyrian was crouched down his head in his hands mumbling to himself maniacally. I stayed where I was keeping my tanto Thorn in my hand knowing Tyrian could move at any moment.

Tyrian stopped his mumbling and slowly stood up his eyes pointed sharply at me. I slid my right foot back and lowered myself ready for him to charge. Slowly Tyrian began to laugh grow louder till eventually, it reached a cacophony of noise that filled the room. "My Queen says she wants you dead, and that I can carve out your pretty little eye."

I activated my semblance and pushed off across the room as Tyrian charged me. As I reached Tyrian I lowered Thorn and slashed it across his right side quickly and spun and stabbed downward with a reverse grip into his back. I expected to feel Thorn hit his aura but it instead passed through thin air. I tried to activate my semblance and disappear into rose petals but I was too slow. Tyrian spun and slammed his heel into my knee knocking me off my feet. As I fell backward I threw my hands out behind me and caught myself and kicked myself back up to my feet.

Tyrian was upon me again and slashed at me with his right blade forcing me to hold up Thorn in defense, using his free arm he landed a punch right in my gut knocking the wind from me. I crouched over in pain and Tyrian spun again this time his heel connecting with my temple. My aura flared up in a desperate attempt to keep me conscious as I fell to the ground with the entire world spinning. "My Queen always spoke so highly of you, ha ha ha ha look at you. I'm gonna enjoy cutting you up."

Tyrian slashed down with blades at my exposed back but this time I was ready and collapsed into Roses quicker than I'd ever done before. I pushed forward around Tyrian and formed to his right grabbing his hand with my robotic one. Tyrian let out a cry as I squeezed down as hard as I could his aura trying to fight against the sheer force I was administering.

Tyrian tried to slash me with his free hand but couldn't as I pivoted his body and planted a foot in the back of his knee kicking him to the ground. I placed Thorn up to his throat and pushed down against it. Tyrian aura flickered but held, even if it wouldn't cut him the threat was clear enough. "I suggest you stop before I slit your throat."

Tyrian began to laugh and pushed against the knife straining his aura even more. "Oh please do I've always wanted to know what it was like to have my blood gush from my throat like a fountain. Oh please please do it, paint me red with my blood."

I pushed the blade back on Tyrian and his aura flared even more and I could tell just how close it was to breaking. Something in my head told me that this was a trap and I tried to jump back but was too slow. I'd forgotten about Tyrian's tail as it whipped out and curled around my leg. With a strength I didn't know the appendage had I was lifted off the ground and thrown into the nearest wall.

My entire body impacted against the wooden wall and I ended up going halfway through it. I quickly pulled myself free as a blade slashed through the air splitting my coat in half. I lunged backward as Tyrian's tail shot forward right at my face missing my a few inches. Becoming desperate I reached for Reaper on my back but my hands met air. I quickly looked around and found the rifle embedded in the wall I'd been thrown into.

I had no time to retrieve the weapon as Tyrian leaped through the air his blade coming from his side and his tail over his head. I activated my semblance and slipped passed the weapons and grabbed onto his tail. Almost like an acrobat Tyrian spun inward curling up his tail and stabbed his blade into my shoulder joint. I let out a cry of pain and released the grip on his tail.

Tyrian wasn't done and grabbed me by the hair and slammed me down into the ground head first shattering my aura. With a kick to the side, Tyrian flipped me over as the air gushed out from my lungs leaving me breathless. "You're kidding right this is all you had, My Queen should never have chosen you."

Tyrian reared back his stinger and I closed my eyes waiting for it to stab into me ending my life. Tyrian let out a single laugh and shot his stinger forward, as he did this a burst of air filled the entire room and I looked up as a piece of furniture specifically a lounge chair smashed into the back of Tyrian's head shattering his aura.

From the now cleared staircase, Yang ran into the room followed by Winter and Weiss with their weapon's drawn. Yang's eyes fell on me and she quickly ran over to my side grabbing me by the shoulder. "Ruby, what the hell is going on? Where is everyone and Why are you on the ground."

Before I could respond a fist slammed into the side of Yang's head knocking her off of me. Standing where Yang had been was Tyrian with a large cut on his head that had blood flowing from it. Tyrian's eyes were wild as his tail once again flew towards me while screaming at me. "DIE DIE DIE."

I quickly felt my hand around the floor desperately trying to find anything to defend myself with. My hand wrapped around something as Tyrian stinger shot forward straight at my eye. Stabbing whatever was in my hand forward it hit his tail just above the stinger piercing through the chitin shell. Tyrian let out a scream as his sting stopped just short of my face, sticking through his tail was a chair leg that had been snapped off leaving a sharp tip.

I held onto the chair leg pushing back against Tyrian while he struggled to close the short distance between his tail and my eye. The weight of Tyrians body over mine began to give him an advantage and his stinger grew closer and closer.

Suddenly the pressure released and Tyrian let out another scream as Winter's sword severe his tail at the base on his back. Tyrian swung his arm wildly behind him trying to catch Winter off guard but she was ready and intercepted the blade. Seeing an opening I grabbed Tyrian's severed tail and thrust the stinger into his lower back.

The stinger tip pierced Tyrian's back easily and went all the way into his spinal cord severing it in half. Tyrian screamed out in pain and crumpled to the ground no longer able to feel or use his legs. Tyrian reached behind and grabbed the stinger pulling it out of his back and looked at it in horror. "YOU BITCH, I CAN'T FEEL MY LEGS."

Winter held the point of her sword up to his throat but kept it back and a few inches so he could kill himself with it. I got off the ground slowly and walked over to where Tyrian had knocked Yang to. Weiss was by her side and was trying to see if she was hurt completely ignoring the fact that her aura was still active even if it was low. I moved passed Weiss and over to the hole in the wall and grabbed Reaper from its spot. It took me another minute to find Thorn but when I spotted it I picked it up and slipped it back into its sheath.

Winter was still standing over Tyrian as I walked back over to them, Winter was trying to contact Qrow about bringing Tyrian into custody. Tyrian, on the other hand, did not want this to happened and tried to lunge at Winter's rapier hoping it would cut his throat open. Winter already expected this and locked his arms to the ground with a glyph leaving him to struggle.

"Fuck you, all of you are gonna die by my hands. I will laugh as I watch the blood drain from your bodies, Oh how fun it will be. Silver knows what it's like to kill someone, the thrill of slicing open a throat or stabbing someone through the heart." Tyrian looked me dead in the eyes and I felt rage build up inside of me, he was trying to remind me of the monster I was and it was working.

I walked right up to him and smacked the but of Reaper into his face breaking his nose and the lower orbital bone of his eye. Tyrian began laughing again as blood poured from the wounds. "Where's the ruthless killer My Queen was so proud of, I know you want to do it! Pick of that gun and shoot me. DO IT! If not I'm going to escape and hunt down your little girls, I'll make you watch as I slice up there pretty little skin and peel it from their still screaming bodies. I'll cut off their little ears and make a headband out of them. All while….."

Tyrian final words never came out as I leveled Reaper at him and pulled the trigger, even if Tyrian had aura from this distance the heavy sniper round would have shattered it. Without it Tyrian's heads was like a balloon being popped, pieces of skull and brain matter splattered onto ground and wall behind him before the glyphs around him disappeared and his body flopped over to the ground lifeless. "Winter stared at the body for a second then at the still smoking rifle in my hand. "Ruby what did you just do, you just killed someone who had direct intel about Salem and the rest of the faction. He couldn't even hurt us if he wanted to, YOU PARALYZED HIM."

I looked down at the body and back at Winter who was still surprised by my actions. I leaned in close to her making my body language as serious as I could make it. "Tyrian was never going to talk no matter what we did, he was the most devout of all of Salem's followers. Even if he was in this state he was never going to stop trying to kill us, he would find a way to do it. I chose to do the right thing and kill him now before he could hurt anyone, the threatened my daughters the very people I live for. To me no one who threatens them deserves to live and I will continue to kill anyone who threatens those I love."

Weiss and Yang had now joined Winter standing next to each other behind Winter. Weiss looked disgusted as she looked over Tyrian's body and even more disgusted when she looked at me. Yang was in a state of shock probably remembering the things she had done to the White Fang. I walked past Winter and headed for the stairs but stopped just before going up them and looked back at the trio.

"This is not the first time I've killed and it won't be the last. Get in the way of me trying to protect my loved ones and you'll join him."

Without another word, I ascended the steps and returned to my waiting daughters.


	12. 12

**POV Winter**

"Qrow you need to stop and listen to me what Ruby did wasn't...it wasn't right. We both know what it's like to kill and we've both grown numb to it but Ruby….it was just wrong." Qrow was sitting on the couch in the apartment staring down at the flask in his hand. After Ruby's accident, Qrow had gone out binge drinking for almost an entire week. Nobody knew what happened to him till he appeared at my doorstep with enough alcohol poisoning that it should have killed him days before if not for his aura.

After spending weeks in the hospital Qrow finally quit but he couldn't do it alone and I ended being his crutch for the first 6 months. Soon the two of became used to being around one another and without Qrow's drunken slurs and jokes I learned what he was truly like. Qrow was as fragile as people came and he struggled with almost everything he did, drinking had just been his way to deal with the pain of it all.

After moving in with me Qrow got rid of almost everything that tied him to his past including all contact with his own sister but the one thing he kept was his flask. He never used it except as a reminder of why he did everything he's done. He would slowly move his hand across the engraving on carved into the metal as he stared ahead absentmindedly.

"Qrow I know what she is to you but...but this isn't right she's a…" Qrow jumped up from the couch standing over me his red eyes intense with a flame they rarely had.

"She's what Winter...a criminal...killer...villain...an enemy?" Qrow said the last words with a rough his that made me take a step back.

"Qrow I know she's your daughter and I'm not saying we need to lock her up that's the last thing I want, but we need to watch her. She spent the last few years with the Queen of Grimm and we can't ignore it. I want to love her as much as you do, she's my daughter too even if not by blood. She's changed and we can't ignore it."

Qrow took a step back and picked up his flask from the ground where he dropped it and slid it back into his pocket. Qrow then looked out the window watching the blue sky that hung over all of Remnant. I slid up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist and put my arm into the crook of his neck.

"I'm sorry and don't worry we'll watch her, right now she...she's just confused. She had everything stripped away from her but she made a new life and right now she's struggling to combine the two into her current life. I know she can't be the old her and I won't let her go back to what she was because of Salem, she's my daughter and I will stop the world if it makes her and my grandkids happy."

I let out a soft laugh and Qrow tilted his head slightly catching my eyes. "Sorry, it's just so weird that we can call ourselves parents let alone grandparents. I know you're older than me by more than a few years but I'm still young."

Qrow turned in my arms and wrapped his own arms around me pulling my head to his chest while he planted a kiss on the top of my head. "I know it's weird but so is this big ass family. I'm just happy everyone it keeps getting bigger. I can't ask for anything more than my daughter, grandkids and guardian angel."

 **Ruby POV**

"Ozpin you promised me that she would have a full pardon, I've done everything you've asked and more. I help you take down Salem and give you all the information I have and I get my kids back and cinder has a full pardon. So why the hell is she in a cell."

Ozpin leaned forward in his chair his cup of coffee held in his hand as usual. "Ruby I know this isn't what you expected but it is a precaution I'm we are taking right now. Cinder has been in Salem's faction for a very long time and we know not what she could have done. For now, she is to be put in isolation while an array of mental and physical tests are taken to ensure the safety of everyone. We did the same thing in your situation so please be patient."

My hand's grip on the base of the chair tightened and I could feel the metal warp from the stress it was enduring but it was currently the only thing stopping me from lashing out in anger. "Ozpin do you know what it's like to do terrible things for a cause that is the only thing you know. That is what Cinder and I have been put through, Cinder more than I. She understands that what she did was terrible but it was all she could do to prove her existence in this unforgiving world."

"Ruby I do not lie to you when I say I've made many mistakes in my life but I know through my errors I learned and fought to not make them again. I've sent many people to their deaths over trivial things that looking back makes me look like a fool. If a person can accept their mistakes then we can all move forward. That is all cinder must do."

The chair finally gave out and cracked from the pressure sending shards all over the ground. "OZPIN WHAT WE DID IS DIFFERENT! You talk about the mistakes you made but none of the things we did where mistakes. Everything we did was a choice that we made on purpose. Every person killed was done by our own hands. So spare me your psychological bullshit. Finish those damn tests and let her out so that we can both prove our purpose to the world by ending Salem and the lies she made us believe!"

Ozpin for the first time I ever remember was startled. He had watched Beacon fall and Grimm run rampant on killing spree's and had kept his calm demeanor. But here I was calling him out on this farce and it shook him, its something I never expected.

"Mrs. Rose we will finish the tests in two days and in which time if she passes she shall be released. If anything changes you shall be the first to be informed. When Cinder is released she will also require an escort as Qrow is currently your's. Those are the only requirements if she passes."

I let go of the piece of chair still in my hand and dropped it to the floor with the rest of its remains. "As long as you keep your word you will have no problem with me. I want to keep any bullshit that can possibly exist out of my way. I've said it before and will say it again, family is everything to me and I will not deal lightly with those that cause pain to them no matter how powerful that person may be."

Letting the sting of the last few words sink into Ozpin I spun around and walked out of Ozpin's office to where Blake was waiting with Kita, Ari, and Qrow. I held out my hands and the two girls quickly grabbed ahold of me and Blake followed close by. Qrow barely took notice of me and was trying to look towards Ozpin but gave up and stepped into the elevator with the rest of us.

When the elevator reached the atrium I quickly ushered the girls passed the rowdy group of students trying to get into the elevator before we exited. I flashed the group a look that caused them all to take a step back so that we could get by. Qrow and Blake took notice of this but Kita and Ari were too amazed by everything around them to care.

The one thing I'd always wished to give the girls was a normal life outside of Salem's castle where they could walk freely. Salem rules had kept the girls confined to our rooms and any thought of exploring was removed from existence. Free from her grasps Ari and Kita could explore and see the beauties the world had to offer and Beacon was a place to do that.

Every new site to the girls excited them and filled them with a joy that spread to everyone around them. Kita was usually shy but was constantly asking about each person she saw and became attached to the unique outfits they wore. Ari was always getting distracted by the nature around her especially the bright blue sky she rarely saw.

Before we knew it the travel to our destination was over but the excitement was not over as Kita tugged on my sleeve trying to get my attention. "Mommy where are we?"

Picking up Kita into my arms I pushed the door open and the heat inside the building brushed across my skin warming me. "Well, my little kitty we are at the forge so Mommy can make a new weapon."

Kita wriggled in my arms and I took it as the cue to put her down and the second I did she ran over to Ari and took her hand. I smiled at the cute display of sisterly love and stepped over to the counter. Sitting at the counter was a large burly man with a heavy black beard and leather apron. He looked up at me and was almost shocked like he was seeing a ghost. "Rose...is that you what the hell I thought you were dead."

The man reached out and I took his arm pulling ourselves into a one-armed hug even with the counter between us. "Well Marcus I'm not dead was just gone because of some things that happened. I'm back for good and need to use one of the forges, had a little accident with my weapon and need a new one."

Marcus looked almost shocked and took an actual step back away from me. "Ruby Rose the greatest weapon maker in all of Remnant. The very same person who created a revolutionary technique in dust forging broke her weapon and chose to come to my forge. I'm honored and excited to see what you'll come up with this time." Marcus pulled out a sheet and quickly filled it out before returning to me. "You can have your old forge everything should be running just as it did so nothing should be new. If you need anything just let me know."

I gave Marcus a quick thanks and followed the hallway next to the counter and walked to down to the end of the hallway to the very last room and opened the door. Kita and Ari were very hesitant to enter the room but I gave them each a pat on the head and they stepped inside and each instantly became excited.

One of the few rooms I'd been allowed to take the girls into was the castle forge and it was there I taught my girls about my own love for weapons. Since the girls were so young the work they did was mainly helping my grab different tools but they both loved it. Their favorite part was the forge because as they said it was like magic.

The girls immediately explored the room pointing tools they'd never seen or ones they had. I laughed watching Ari pick up a socket wrench by the socket and spin it causing it to twirl around while making a rattle noise. "Hey! Are either of you going to help me or are you just gonna play around."

Both of them perked up and Ari in a flash of movement put back the wrench and appeared by my side with Kita right on her heels. "Mommy, what we gonna make? A sword, how about an ax, maybe even a chainsaw?"

The girls went back in forth between the two of them shouting even more outrageous weapon ideas eventually even saying something about a disintegration ray that could turn into a baseball bat. Luckily I already had a plan and I reached into the bag on my back pulling out a diagram. Even as crazy as I was when I was younger I was a genius when it came to weapons. Thanks to the diary Blake returned to me I was able to turn one of my younger selves drawings into a reality.

Hey, Ruby is it really safe for those two to be in her, it really looks like they could get hurt." I turned to Blake having forgotten both her and Qrow's existence. Blake had a shadow of worry over her face watching the twins explore the forge and flinched every time they came near a sharp or dangerous object.

"Blake the one thing you don't have to worry about is the girls when they are in a forge. I've taught them both how to use 80% of the tools and safety for all of them. I trust them in here more than I would Yang." The worry shadowing Blake lessened slightly but was still there and didn't seem to be leaving anytime soon. Qrow didn't seem to really care and walked over to me while I rolled out the diagram and he looked surprised by the design.

"Ruby, I know you're a great weaponsmith but how do you plan to be able to wield this. I could figure it out given some time but you aren't experienced as I am." I gave a scoff to Qrow and began to assemble the tools I would need for the weapon. Blake looked at the diagram taking more time to comprehend what it was I was crafting.

"Ruby, Qrow's not wrong. I have no idea how to even use this and what happens when you apply dust to it. I never remembered you being very good at it." Slamming down my collection of tools and materials I grabbed the diagram and showed it to the twins.

"Hey, do you two think Mommy can pull this off?" Both girls studied the blueprint with an eye that no child their age should have had but somehow the understood. Once it seemed they were done they both looked at each other and smiled doing their weird twin thing and spoke at the same time.

"Definitely!"

 **POV WEISS**

"Yang I've already talked with Winter about this and she's talked to Qrow. we can't deny what we saw and we can't ignore it. Ruby shot Tyrian in cold blood without hesitation. I'm not saying it's a bad thing he did but she then threatened us if we hurt her family."

Yang slammed her fist on the table and got up from the chair leaning over me thanks to the extra 6 inches she had on me. "Weiss I know what happened and I know what she said, I was there. I hate seeing Ruby do things like that as much as you do but I've come to accept that she is no longer the sweet innocent Ruby she was. But I don't think we have anything to worry about."

Yang took a step back and grabbed her coffee mug she had on the table taking a sip from it. "Yang what about her threat? She said she would hurt everyone that hurt her family, how can we ignore this blatant death threat."

"Weiss she wasn't threatening you, winter or me she was threatening Salem. If there is one thing I know about Ruby that will never change is her love for family. The other thing I know is that all of us are considered family. You, Blake, Winter, Qrow, Me, Team JNR, Team CFVY, even...Cinder. We are all family to her."

Yang let out a huff and placed her mug on the counter clearly tired of the drink. I sat in silence thinking how much of an idiot I was not to see it. Yang was right anybody who got close to Ruby on a personal level immediately became family. That was one of the reason's why Ruby was such a good leader, she took the time to learn about each of us and not the fake facade we put up for others. Ruby tore down every wall we built up and pulled us out into the open no matter how hard we tried to fight it and in the end, it made us a better team and more importantly a family.

"I'm sorry Yang you're right, I was just so caught up in everything I...I didn't really think about it. I everything is just so screwed up right now, Ruby was dead now she's alive and she has kids. Not to mention all the other stuff that went on."

Yang let out a small laugh and I took a seat next to her at the counter sitting as close to her as I could without entering her personal space. "Ya a lot has happened to all of us, You became a CEO, I went on a streak of revenge, and Blake became really depressed for a while. But at least we all came back together and we added some new members along the way."

"To be truthful I think I've been happier these past few weeks than I have in the three years. I hate being a CEO it was what I was trained for but not what I wanted. Being here has revealed exactly what I want."

Yang's brilliant lilac eyes met mine and an almost undeniable force began to force us together. I let the distance between us lessen and I could smell Yang's sent come from her clothes. The intoxicating smell of lavender and gunpowder overpowering my senses. With mere centimeter separating us Yang spoke in little more than a whisper that made my heart beat harder in my chest. "What exactly is it that you want?"

No longer holding back I pushed my lips forward but froze as a pounding noise came from the door. Trying to ignore the pounding I looked back at Yang but whatever had been there was absolutely gone. "So uhm, I'm gonna go get the door."

Yang almost ran from her seat over to the door and quickly pulled it open to reveal Blake with two little bundles wrapped around her body. "Hi Yang, can you quickly grab Kita before she falls out of my hands!"

Yang reached out and grabbed the smaller of the twins pulling her up to her chest as Blake walked into the room with the other twin in her arms. Both girls were out cold and it didn't seem like they were gonna wake up anytime soon. "Hey, Blake can I ask why you came back holding my Nieces without the aid of Ruby."

Blake let out a huff and lightly laid Ari out on one of the chairs and placed a blanket on her. "Well Ruby has spent the past two days working around the forge and it seems that she has already taught Kita and Ari how to help her. Ruby, however, has gotten so caught up in her work she didn't seem to notice what time it was or that her kids had fallen asleep on the ground next to the forge. When she did finally notice she asked if I could take them back here so they could sleep."

"Well if I remember how much Ruby used to spend at the forge before it doesn't come as a surprise that she has already taught her kids how to use one. But what does surprise me is that she let you bring them back without her. Ruby hasn't let me or Yang be alone with them for more than two minutes but here she is just giving them to you. We all know about your interactions with Ruby during school but what is going on between you two now?"

Blake's face grew bright red and she stalked over to Yang and plucked Kita out of her hands and cradled her up to her body. "Whatever there was between me and Ruby is gone, we kinda talked about it and well...it's….we are just friends."

Blake laughed and pulled out her scroll before flashing her a picture that Blake clearly recognized as the what would your baby look like. "Blake look down at this then look at the little girl in your arms. If you think I'm oblivious to what you two are doing then you're very wrong. Ruby is my sister and it's my job to figure out what's going on."

Almost as if on cue Kita shifted in Blake's arms and snuggled deeper into her and let out a satisfying mew before saying "Mommy" in the quietest voice possible. Yang stepped forward and stroked one of Kita's cat ears while looking Blake dead in the eye. "Just try and deny it?"

"I...I...I'm taking them to bed." Blake held Kita tightly and lightly took hold of Ari being careful not to awaken her. Yang and I watched Blake carry the two girls with a practiced skill neither of us could figure out how she gained before disappearing into her and Ruby's room.

I looked at Yang as she walked over to the living room and plopped down onto the couch. I followed her and sat down on the opposite end letting our legs brush against each other. "Yang I'm kinda surprised you still have that picture you made that thing years ago!"

Yang broke into a fit of laughter making me grow extremely confused. "Weiss that was not the one I made during school. I made that when I saw them together the other day."

This time both of us broke into a fit of laughter and I could help but to pull myself closer to Yang until the two of us were practically laying on top of each other. Yang's natural warmth spread through my body making the already comfortable embrace even better. Yang began to turn trying to free herself before letting out a huff. "Weiss isn't this a little embarrassing."

I gripped Yang tighter and snuggled in closer like Kita had done to Blake feeling comfort in it. "Shut up you brute, you know you like it."

Yang stopped her struggle and finally gave up giving into the embrace between us.

 **Ruby POV**

With one last twist of the screwdriver, I let out a relieved sigh having finally completed my brand new weapon. It took almost two days with only breaks for a quick nap and to eat before I collapsed but in the end, the work would be worth it.

Picking up the weapon I gave it a spin feeling the perfectly balanced weapon spin with a practiced ease from having used a scythe for years. I pivoted on my foot slashed forward with the blade stopping it just an inch from the man who had just awoken. "Damn Ruby watch where you point that thing!"

I gave a laugh and pulled the weapon back as the light reflected across its black metal. Qrow got up from his chair and let out a long yawn showing just how tired he was. I looked over at the clock and saw that it was currently 2:36 a.m. I placed my newly created weapon back onto the workbench and grabbed a socket wrench and adjusted a bolt that seemed too loose for my liking. Qrow stepped up behind me and looked at the weapon before giving a defeated sigh. "So what the hell does this thing do?"

Holding out the weapon I looked at it and I could feel drool slowly leaking out from my mouth. "This is my new baby Crimson Rose. She's a dual headed scythe that has two 8 shot revolver cylinders on in the shaft that can fire from each end and can be broken down and transformed into two four-foot revolvers."

Qrow raised his eyebrow at me as I looked at the weapon with a small amount of foam frothing from the corner of my mouth. The dual-headed scythe was about eight weet long and each had a crimson colored scythe head that was almost three and a half feet long. The rest of the weapon was colored a pitch Black that seemed to suck in the light around it. About three and a half feet from the head of each end of the shaft was a revolver cylinder that could hold a total of 8 .450 marlin rounds.

To say the gun was overkill kill was an understatement because it could blow through deathstalkers shell with only two shots. The importance of the round though was that it allowed for me to fire the gun and go into a fast spin thanks to the high recoil. Thanks to the fire dust I used in the bullets it would fire at almost three times the speed of sound, twice as fast as Crescent Rose's anti-material rounds. This seemed almost unbelievable but thanks to a lot of tinkering while in Salem's Castle and a new knowledge of dust I made it possible.

Crimson Rose could also be split in half so that instead of wielding a double-headed scythe it could be used as a sickle in each hand. While in sickle form I could also transform it down in a revolver almost identical to Emeralds other than the fact that it was a foot longer and would break almost anybody else's arm.

"Ruby I know I've said this to you in the past but how the hell do you come up with something like this?" Qrow reached out to grab the head of Crimson Rose but before he could I clicked a button and the head of each scythe flattened lining up with the rest of the weapon turning it into a double-headed spear.

The edge of Crimson Rose nicked Qrow's aura and he let out a yelp as a small spark of fire leaped out at the rest of his hand. "What the hell Ruby! What was that?"

I smiled at Qrow and pulled Crimson Rose back and transformed it into its compact form and placed it onto the magnetic holster just like I would have with Crescent Rose. "Oh, that! That was the effect of the dust crystal hidden by the head of the blade. It adds some fun little effect when I'm fighting, I was hoping to try out some different types but for now, I chose to stick with fire dust."

Qrow reached out and forcibly grabbed me pulling me up to the side of his body and gave me a rub on my head with his free arm. "Damn Ruby you're always gonna be a little tinkerer aren't you!" Pushing hard against him I stumbled away and he let out a laugh and I joined in. "It's late and I'm guessing your own little ones are gonna be missing you if you aren't back soon."

Quickly throwing a punch into Qrow's arm I gave him a quick smirk and walked out the door and he quickly followed. The night air was cool against my skin and I chose to pull my hair out of my braid letting it flow freely behind me. "I know you've been told this your entire life but you look so much like your mother."

I turned around facing Qrow who had a solemn look on his face one that constantly flashed across his face when he drank. I pulled the glove off my hand and rolled the sleeve up letting the black and crimson metal glitter under the moonlit night. "I may look like her but I'm not her. Whenever people talked about her it was always about how much of a hero she was and how she inspired everybody. As a mom she was the best, she was perfect. I'm nothing like her I destroyed the legacy she left behind and turned it into something warped and twisted."

Qrow stepped forward and grabbed my hand not my real one but my robotic one and pulled me into a hug that felt warmer than any I'd ever felt. "Summer was not perfect and neither are, hell neither is anyone. Summer had so many things she regretted but she never let that stop her. Summer used to wear that same face of worry you had all the time, then you came along. She was never happier when she was with you. Now you have your own kids so you have to put on the same smile she did for you and everyone else. Fight for what you love just like she did and you will always make her proud!"

Qrow held me a little longer as I wept into his chest hearing more about my mother than I had in years. Everyone always made her out to be so perfect but she wasn't, she messed up. If I wanted to make her proud then I needed to follow in her footsteps. "Thank you Qrow that means a lot to me."

Qrow released his embrace on me we continued our walk in silence back towards the apartment until a thought crossed my mind. "Qrow since you married Winter have either of you two thought about having kids?"

Qrow instantly froze in shock his expression unmoving as his eyes went wide. "Ruby I...I love Winter but kids I don't know...we've never talked about it...I mean…" Qrow looked down at me and his face shifted to a mix between his serious and solemn expression. "Ruby things happened between me and somebody else I love….I...I don't know if I can have...If I want….I just don't know. All that matters is I have the person I love most back so please no more about this."

I looked at Qrow and tried to meet his eyes but he wouldn't let me as hard as I tried. Qrow was trying to say something but he couldn't or at least wouldn't. What he said didn't make since Winter was his wife but he just said the person he loved most in the world was back with him.

Who could have come back that he loved more than his wife? I thought hard for a second but couldn't come up with an answer but then it clicked. The person who came back was me but why would he love me more than Winter. Sure I was his niece but we had no blood relation. Yang was the one related to him, not me, and who was it he loved before who could it have been…

"You loved my mom...didn't you!"

Qrow froze even more than he had before and his expression was filled with fear more this time than it was before. "I'm right aren't I….but why she had my dad after Raven left. Did she know...Did she know you loved her."

I pushed Qrow hard in the arm and he seemed to unfreeze but it still held the look of fear it had from before. "Ruby I can't say anymore!"

I let out a yell of anger and kicked him hard in the leg just as I would have done when I was little and began yelling at him. "Fuck you Qrow you can't keep this from me. Summer was my mom and you loved her. So tell me DID SHE KNOW!"

"Yes, she did." Qrow looked down at me with a defeated look before dropping down and sitting on the edge of the fountain in the courtyard we had ended up in. "She loved me and I loved her. Ruby do you know the story of what happened between Tai and Raven." I quickly shook my head no and Qrow let out a sigh before continuing on.

"Tai was just like your sister is now extremely energetic, filled with life and confidence to rival any other. Raven was almost the opposite and she hid from everyone else until she ended up as his partner. The two of them became inseparable as Raven helped to cool him down but Tai helped her be her true self. The two of them fell in love but it was never meant to last. Raven and I come from a tribe of wanderers who live in the wilds outside the kingdoms."

Qrow reached out and grabbed his sleeve pulling it up to reveal a long scar then ran from his forearm all the way up to his shoulder in a long jagged path. "My father was a cruel man and the leader of the tribe and he boasted about how one must be strong to live. Our entire village followed him without thought and anybody who didn't was outcasted. Raven and I were allowed to leave and learn about the rest of the world and for years we did. But after Raven had Yang our father grew sick and he called both of us back. I hated the tribe and refused to return but Raven did without a second thought."

Qrow rolled his sleeve down and his shirt revealing a tattoo displaying a bird with its wings cut off. "I was outcasted by the tribe for my defiance in my father's dying breath. Raven was then voted in as the next leader and she could do nothing. Her life was to the tribe and she left both Tai and Yang. Raven forgot everything she learned from Tai and became just like my father."

Qrow dropped his shirt down and looked up into the night sky staring at the stars. He stayed like that as I grew impatient and plopped down next to him. "Qrow that can't be it what else happened. What does this have to do with you and Summer?"

Qrow dropped his gaze back to me his eyes refilling with the sadness they had before. "It has everything to do with it. After Raven left both Tai and I become a mess, he lost a wife and I lost my sister and family. Both of us turned to the bottle and at first it helped but eventually, it became an addiction to me I couldn't stop. Tai begged Summer for help and your mother left to help Tai with Yang. He recovered but I never did it only grew worse."

Qrow reached into his coat and pulled out the flask he always carried and held it out in his hands staring at it like I saw him always do. "Out of all the times I've been drunk it was never as bad as those days. I couldn't stop and it came to the point that when Yang was around one I showed up at Tai's house throwing up blood. Summer spent the next month with me trying to help me and she did. I stopped drinking and things got better, I loved Summer and she still loved me but it wasn't going to last."

"Tai couldn't live without Summer helping him he was just as big a mess as I was so Summer asked if we could both help him. I was so happy but I knew it couldn't happen, my semblance was bad luck and being around a kid would have been disastrous. I said no and left, I turned to Ozpin and spent the next three years working for him with almost no contact with the outside world. To this day that choice is the dumbest I've ever made. Do you know why?"

I looked at Qrow as tears welled up in his eyes and he dropped his flask to the ground. I quickly shook my head and he continued on with a shakiness that couldn't be dismissed. "I came back to find Summer holding a little girl a who was a few months over the age of two. A girl who was going to grow up and look just like the woman I loved so much. I left without even learning of your existence and I realized just how big the mistake I made was."

Qrow turned and grabbed my shoulders and pulled me close to his chest rest his lips on my forehead and planted a soft kiss on me. "I screwed up so badly I was pushed away by the woman I loved and started drinking again, in the end, I sealed my fate. I not only missed the birth of my daughter but also made it so I could never be her father. I'm sorry for everything I've done but I can't change the path. All I can do is ask for forgiveness!"

The world around me began to swim as my brain started to go into overload. Everything I knew was a lie, Tai wasn't my dad and Yang wasn't my sister. Qrow was my dad and he knew the entire time. If this was a lie then what else was, what else had they been lying to me about?

I let out a scream as my head filled with an unbearable pain causing my voice to grow strained from the sheer force. I flailed wildly trying to break out of Qrow's grasp but he held on tight not letting me go even as I smashed my fists into him. In a matter seconds I turned into a mess of emotions I couldn't control and I didn't know what to do but to let them run wild.

Qrow held onto me for what felt like an eternity until I grew too tired to fight anymore. Both my mind and body had hit a wall it never reached and the resulting effect was that I drained myself of everything I had. Qrow never let go and when I was done he scooped me up in his arm and carried me like a small child all while I just stared up into the night sky.

As sleep pulled onto my body Qrow leaned down and laid one final kiss on my head before laying me down on something soft. "I'm sorry my little rose I never meant to hurt you and I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me one day. No matter how long it takes I will not run and will always be there for you."


	13. 13

**POV Yang**

"Qrow what the hell did you do! You come back here in the middle of the night carry Ruby in your arms and then she sleeps for almost two days straight. Then when she wakes up she as big as a mess as when she came back to us. So if you tell me nothing happened I'm going to kick you old ass through a FUCKING WALL."

I took a threatening step towards Qrow but he didn't flinch and continued to stare off like he had been since he brought back Ruby. "Qrow I swear."

I took another step towards Qrow and raised my hand and this time he finally looked up at me with tears in my eyes. "I...I told her Yang. I told her everything, the entire truth."

I stumbled back from Qrow and dropped into the chair behind and almost silently uttered "Oh shit." I'd learned the truth about Ruby and our entire family from Tai after I forced it out of him trying to learn more about Raven. I'd wanted to tell Ruby but both Tain and Qrow forced me to keep it a all the times she could have learned the truth this was possibly the worst. She had no structure to support her and without it, she was going to destroy herself.

"Qrow why the hell would you tell her, Ruby was...is in a very fragile state. What are we going to do? Ruby probably thinks her entire life is a lie right now and she doesn't know who to trust. What the fuck do we do!"

I yelled at Qrow but he still didn't move it seemed as if he was stuck in whatever state he was in. He had revealed the biggest lie in his entire life to the one person he never could hurt on purpose and it destroyed her. "Yang I...I don't know what to do. I've only ever played the part of the drunk Uncle I have no idea what it's like to be a father and right now I don't even deserve to be one. I want to try and fix this but I know I'll just make things worse and that's the very thing I'm trying not to do."

I let out a frustrated growl and jump out of the chair I was in and stormed out of the living room and ran right up to Ruby's door. I was lucky enough that Blake and Weiss had taken the kids out so that they could try and distract them from what their mother was going through. Ruby was the person who saved them and it was not right for them to see her in this state.

Once I was outside the door I reached down to the doorknob and tried to turn it but found it to be locked. With a growl, I grabbed the knob against and twisted as hard as I could breaking the lock with a loud snap. I forced the rest of the door open and stepped into the dark room and blindly reached out for the light switch

With a single flip of a switch the room was bathed in the soft light from the ceiling and I could finally make out the figure of Ruby hiding in the corner of the room. I walked over and grabbed the sheet and pulled it off over her with one solid pull. Ruby made no move to protect herself and slowly turned up to face me and I let out a surprised gasp.

Ruby was laying on the bed in only her underwear and bra her hair was a tangled mess she had even removed her eyepatch. The biggest surprise though was that she had also removed her prosthetics leaving just the metal connection point on her body. "Ruby what the hell are you doing you not supposed to disconnect you prosthetics."

I reached down and grabbed Ruby arm and slid it back into place causing ruby to let out a scream as it reconnected to her nervous system. When I grabbed her leg she started to fight against me but instead of fighting like an adult it was closer to that of a child. With one final connection, Ruby let out another scream and fell back onto the bed breathing heavily.

"What the hell Ruby this isn't you! I know you're upset because of everything that's happened but this is ridiculous. Yes you were lied too and I know it's upsetting but you have two little girls who need their mother are you going to abandon them? Are you going to take everything you've done for them and throw it out because if you do you'll have nothing and no one will ever help you."

With a rage-filled scream, Ruby shot of the bed and slammed a surprise kick into my chest knocking me to the ground. Before I could move Ruby stood over me and placed her robot foot on my throat applying enough pressure to make breathing hard. "You have no right to say anything about that to me. You and everyone else lied to me, everything I know is gone and I don't know what to do. CInder, You, Qrow, Tai, Salem, Ozpin even Summer lied. I can't believe anything I've been told."

Ruby reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes and I took that as my opportunity to grab her leg and pull it out from under her. The result was Ruby let out a cry as she fell hard to the ground and I let go of her leg and grabbed ahold of her arm twisting it behind her back shoving her face into the ground as I planed my knee in the small of her back. "Ruby this is getting ridiculous, I know you're upset and you have every right to be but you stop this. Be angry but don't hurt the people who didn't lie, Blake, Weiss, Kita, Ari and yourself. None of you had any idea about this so stop whatever this is."

Ruby let out a roar in anger and I pushed down hard trying to keeping her in place but it became in possible as she screamed. "Enough" Ruby activated her semblance and dispersed into rose petals before instantly reforming to my right. I held up my arm in defense as Ruby sent a kick into my side knocking me into the far wall of the room.

I looked up as the entire world spun around me and I saw Ruby walk over towards Blake's bed and reach under it pulling out a bottle of scotch I never knew even existed. Ruby ripped the top of and with one swift move took a long swing from it. With another breath, ruby continued drinking until she dropped the bottle to the ground with a thud.

Thanks to ruby semblance the effects of alcohol would be purged from her sister in little under a half an hour but the alternate effect was that it hit her harder and almost instantaneously. I jumped off the ground and ran over to Ruby and grabbed her by the shoulder keeping her from falling to the ground as she started swaying back and forth. "Ruby what the fuck are you doing."

Ruby eyes turned to mine both her milky white eye and now dull grey void of all emotion locking onto mine. "Like daughter like father like daughter, I guess."

Ruby started chuckling to her herself before pushing away from me and walking over to the window yanking the curtains back letting light pour into the room. She grabbed the window and pushed it open leaning slightly out the window as the wind flowed through her hair. "Do you know how many times I've sat on a roof and thought about jumping because the number would surprise you. I always feel so alive looking straight at the face of death even when I'm fighting. It seems like it would be so easy to just...let go?"

Ruby leaned even more out the window causing my heart to jump in my chest as I ran toward her grabbing her hand and pulling her back into the room. "Ruby what the hell are you doing this is insane! I understand you're upset but this doesn't make any sense."

Ruby let out a chuckle and flopped down on the bed her hair laying all around her in a mess. "Yang you will never know what I'm going through because no one ever will. My entire life has been one long lie and I don't know what to do. I could kill myself but then I would leave Kita and Ari all alone. But that wouldn't work because then I would break the promise I made to them. The best choice is to just take them and leave but I would be hunted down by both Ozpin and Salem. I don't know what to do and it terrifies me because I have no help me."

Ruby pulled her arm up over her eyes tears rolling down the side of her cheek. I slowly moved over to her and slowly and sat down on the side of the bed and slowly ran my hand through her hair. "Ruby none of us her ever meant to hurt you. We made a mistake by not telling you the truth but we didn't because we knew it would hurt you. Tai may not be your father but he raised you and I will always be your sister. All those times we spent together was not a lie. You will always be my sister and I will always love you."

I reached down and grabbed Ruby and pulled her up into my body as more tears began to flow freely and sobs overtook her. Ruby continued to cry for the next half an hour until sleep began to pull on her body and she fell asleep in my lap. It seemed that everything she had in her had been let out and it left her drained.

Not wanting to disturb her rest I remained still and ran my hand through her long red and black hair till a small knock on the door caught my attention. Slowly the door opened and I saw that it was Blake. "Hey, Qrow said something went down and said you might need my help."

I gave a nod and motioned for her to come closer but not enough to disturb Yang. "Ruby is not taking any of this well and it's not much of a surprise but I think the worst of it was she was holding a lot of things in. She said something that really makes me worry and it upset me that I'm part of the problem and can't fix it. Somebody else is going to have to help her."

"Yang do you remember after the fall how we all split up. I ran away and Weiss was forced to go home and you were going through the loss of your arm. Well, Ruby is going through all of those things at once. She's lost and she needs help to find her way and it's going to take all of us. Ruby needs us and more importantly, she needs her kids, they are everything to her and she is everything to them. We need have to because I don't think anyone can see her like this."

Blake sat down on the other side of Ruby and motioned for me to let go of her. I was hesitant at first but slowly shifted her till she was securely in Blake's arms. "You need rest and right now Ruby is going anywhere. Go to your room and sleep I'll be here with Ruby and I'll make sure you're the first to know if anything changes."

I slowly stood up and I couldn't help but hear Ruby let out a small whimper. It pained me to see her in so much pain and be part of cause for it. I wish I could be the sister she believed me to be but, in the end, I wasn't but that wasn't going to stop me from trying.

None of us in the past had paid much attention to it but the truth was Ruby was the very thing holding us all together. With her gone we all crumbled so quickly we had no grasp on what the hell happened. But now that she was back we needed to pick up all those pieces left lying around. Whatever we were will never come back 100% but it doesn't mean we can't be some a little different. Hell, things are completely different now and some of it is for the better.

I looked back over my shoulder and watched as Blake slowly ran her hands through Ruby's hair then leaned down and planted a small kiss on her forehead. I swear right after she did it I heard her Whisper something in her ear instantly causing Ruby to relax in her arms. I wish I knew what it was but I didn't stay to figure it out. Ruby needed help right now and I was not the person to do it. I needed to trust others if this was going to work out.

 **POV QROW**

I growl rumbled from my throat as I stepped into Ozpin's office as he just sat his desk typing away on his scroll. How did he have to audacity to call me to his office at a time like this? I needed to be with my daughter but he had something important to tell me. "Ah Qrow you're here, please sit down this is extremely important."

Ozpin motioned to the chairs in front of his office and I took him up on his offer due to the lack of sleep I've had over the past two and a half days. Winter was unhappy with me and my lack of personal care as I didn't do anything but wait for Ruby. I didn't deserve to do anything until I made it up to her. If I ever could.

"Now Qrow I know with everything that is going on between you and" Ozpin paused and looked at me and actually seemed scared of something. "Ruby, but we can not lay down and wait right now. Salem is probably planning her next move as we speak, with Cinder and Ruby with us and Tyrian dead she will grow desperate and attack us. Report are already coming in of large Grimm hoards forming and we believe she is even awakening some of her most ancient Grimm."

Ozpin clicked his screen and pulled up a picture of an aerial shot of a large black mass moving through the woods crushing everything in its path. "Ozpin when Salem attacked us last time it was planned out over years and it didn't work but she was trying to divide us against one another. If she wants to she can summon all of her Grimm and wipe us off of the face of only chance we stand is killing her but none of us can do it."

Ozpin thought for a second before he leaned back in his chair letting out a sigh. "Yes, I know this is the truth but we are not out of hope yet. We all know that there is one among us who can end Salem and we need her to be ready. We cannot wait for her Qrow we need to end this before it's too late."

Anger swelled inside me with a yell I lunged across the table grabbing Ozpin by his collar pulling up close to me. "Don't you dare try sending her any another one of your suicide missions. I will not let you send her to her death like you did to her mother. Ruby is not some pawn for you to play with, she already grew up without a mother and now you want to go and do the same thing all over again. Are you going to kill her and continue the process with her kids."

I pick up my sword while holding Ozpin still and leveled the blade up to his throat and pressed the tip to it. "I will kill you if you even mention this again. Ruby is not some pawn for you to do what you please with and neither is her kids or anyone for that fact. We will find a way to do this without sending someone to their death. Understood."

Ozpin slowly shook his head up and down and I released his collar letting him fall back into his chair. It didn't surprise me that Ozpin was not at all fazed by my actions, he was a man who could look death in the eye and not even blink. "Qrow I never planned to do for Summer to die, I warned her of the consequences and gave her the options. She was the one who made the final choice. The only fault on my part was not preparing her enough. Her death will always way the most in my mind but time is running out and we must act."

"Ozpin you are and always will be a selfish bastard, every time something happens you plan out everything but never do anything. If you want things to change then get out of your fucking chair and put down your coffee." I stood up from my chair and walked over to the door and stopped looked back at Ozpin. "We are hunters and our job is to bring hope to people while we fight back the darkness, but what about the hunter? Who do they look up to?"

I walked out of his office without another word leaving Ozpin to think about what I said. To others, Ozpin was not only the headmaster of Beacon but also the leader of all Hunters and people looked up to him. If we want to survive this war Ozpin is going to have to do more than just plan he is going to need to stand up and fight like the rest of his.

Once I was in the elevator I let out a long sigh as fatigue took over my body. In all the years I've spent hunting Grimm, rogue Hunter and Bandits it was nowhere near as exhausting as what was happening now and I deserved all of it. Every day I wished I could tell her the truth and be more than just her drunk Uncle but I was a coward. Instead of doing the right thing I hid and drank myself away and I, in the end, I thought I lost my daughter and I almost killed myself over it. If not for Winter I would be dead.

As if almost on cue the elevator dinged and the door slid open, I moved to get out of the elevator but in my fatigued state, my foot hit the gap between the elevator and floor sending me tumbling. A pair of arms caught me and I looked up to see that it was none other than my personal snow angel who caught me. "Qrow what the hell is wrong with you! Ozpin tells me he was meeting with you and that something happened. What is going on?"

"Winter now is not the time to talk about this."I tried to get to my feet but as I did my legs struggled to work and I was forced to accept help from Winter.

"Qrow I'm not gonna stand here and watch as you drop to the ground from exhaustion. Something is wrong and I need to know what it is. I tried asking Weiss but she wouldn't say anything, hell no one will say anything."

I started walking forward with Winter being the only thing holding me up as I left the CCT tower. Winter tried to ask where we were going but I raised my finger up silencing her and simply pointed to keep going forward. The walk should only have taken five minutes but by the time we reached the cliff edge looking over Vale it had been almost three times that.

Letting go of Winter I dropped to the ground with a grunt and patted the spot next to me. Winter took the offer and sat down next to me both of our legs dangling over the edge. "Qrow what is this about?

"Winter I told you when I asked you to marry me that you were not the first woman I loved, the only thing I ever told her was that she was no longer with us." I took in a deep breath and looked over to Winter who had a troubled look on her face. "I've also told you that she and I have a daughter and the time I told you she was also...she was the same as her mother."

I looked away from Winter and looked out over Vale watching the sun slowly set casting the horizon in a glowing fire. It was always my favorite place to come when I was here at Beacon. It always calmed me to look at everything and to remind myself not everything was falling apart and right now that is what I needed.

"Qrow I know all of this and just as I said when you asked to marry me. As long as you love me and never betray me I will always love you and all that comes with you." Winter reached out and took my hand sending a calm radiance through my skin that caused my heart to skip a beat. These were those moments that reminded me why I loved her so much.

"I've never told who the person I loved was because it hurt too much to talk about it especially after what happened to both of them, but thing have changed and...my daughter is no longer gone. I was so happy she was back but...who she thought I was wasn't the truth. She asked and I told her and it's torn us apart. It's killing me that I cased so much pain to her and I don't know what to do. I want to hug and hold her but I'm afraid of what she'll do. I...I"

Winter grabbed my head and turned me towards her and planted a soft kiss on my lips and slowly backed up her ice blue eyes locked onto mine. "Qrow before I can help you I need to know who this person is. If not I cannot tell you how to correctly approach them. Ok?"

I gave a slow nod and Winter reached out resting her hand on the side of my cheek again sending a warm feeling through my entire body that relaxed me. "Winter my daughter...it..it's Ruby."

Winter slowly backed up from me and slightly giggled before looking back. "You know that doesn't surprise me at all. Other than the fact that you two look and fight alike you both tend to act the same. This makes things a lot easier to figure out, all you need to do is be forward with her. Tell her what she needs to hear not what she wants. She's going to try to push you away but you have to push back and make things right. Show her you still love her and be there for her, that's how you make it up."

Winter leaned in and pulled me into a hug and we both looked out over the sunset as it started to dip beyond the horizon sending darkness over the land. Almost at once through the city came alive bright lights lit up in shops and store and apartment building. Even without the darkness that came with light we still figured out how to live in the light.

"So Qrow if Ruby's her daughter that makes me her stepmother, and since she has kids that means I'm also a grandmother. Who knew that at the age of 27 I would become both a mom and grandmother." Winter started laughing and so did I, it was one thing to see you kid grow up but it would always be a shock when the realization of these things came to you.

We spent the next half an hour in each other arms and I couldn't have been happier with everything that was going on. The moment ended though when Winter stood up from the ground and offered me her hand. I took it and stood up with her help the fatigue still fighting my body but no longer as much. "Qrow I would love to sit here with you the rest of the night but your..no our daughter is waiting for you."

I looked at Winter and couldn't help but to smile at how quickly Winter accepted her new position. Though she was never there to raise Ruby she was still going to do everything to act as a mother to her and I loved her for that. "Thank you, Winter, for this...I needed help and you did just that."

I leaned in and planted a kiss on my wife's lips then quickly pulled apart and turned towards the apartment. Ruby was waiting for me and I needed to fix thing now!"

 **POV RUBY**

The world slowly began to form around me as the darkness slid back and light filled its gaps. Then in an instant, everything came hurtling back to me causing my head to be racked with pain. I curled my body up tighter as the pain of everything radiated through and I let out a sob. The memory of everything that happened was too much and I couldn't handle it, I wanted the pain to go away. I wanted to…"

The thought stopped in my head as a hand settle on top of my head and started to stroke my hair calming me. The sobs settled down and I pulled myself closer to the warmth that was laying on me. The smell of books and tea filled my senses and I could hear the faint hum of a song above me.

I turned be head and slowly cracked open my eye and found the source of comfort to be none other than Blake. She was looking down at me with a somber look on her face, it was filled with such sadness and regret but something else as well.

I continued to look up at Blake entranced by her beauty unable to look away. Her long raven hair flowing down her back to her amber eyes that were filled with such emotion and her flawless skin. The most beautiful thing of all was the radiance she emitted, it was so calm and warm giving me a sense of comfort that felt so familiar.

Blake continued to pet my hair and eventually she looked down at me and smiled as she saw I was awake. Blake never stopped running her hands through my hair but she did increase the sound of her humming. The soft melodic tune was no longer dampened but instead radiated with a soft sound. Blake continued to hum and then stopped taking in a deep breath before softly singing the words to the song she was humming.

"Out on the road, there are fireflies circling

Deep in the woods, where the lost souls hide

Over the hill, there are men returning

Trying to find some peace of mind"

"Sleep, my child"

"Under the fog, there are shadows moving

Don't be afraid, hold my hand

Into the dark, there are eyelids closing

Buried alive in the shifting sands"

"Sleep, my child"

"Speak to me now and the world will crumble

Open a door and the moon will fall

All of your life, all your memories

Go to your dreams, forget it all"

"Sleep, my child"

As Blake finished she looked down at me and stopped running her hand through my hair but what made up for it was the soft glowing smile on her face. Neither Blake or I moved for the next few minutes instead we both looked into each other's eyes taking in all we each had to offer. Everything felt so right and I knew this moment wouldn't last forever, nothing ever lasted in my life and now more than ever it would end terribly. "Blake I'm sor..."

Blake placed a finger up to my lips silencing me. "Ruby you have nothing to be sorry for, nothing you've done that causes you pain is your fault. Please don't blame yourself I can't stand to watch you be in so much pain. I want to be back with the woman I fell in love with, I know she's still there even if she's changed. I still love her...I still love you."

Those four words were one of the few things I'd missed hearing in the entire world. I loved my daughters and everything they did gave me new life but there was always something missing and it had just been found. Blake was the thing I'd been missing and I hated myself for all the things I'd done to her. Tears started falling out of my eyes and Blake cradled me closer to her again humming to try and soothe me.

"Blake, why would you love me? I've hurt people including everyone I've loved. How can you just continue loving me when I can't even be the person you love? I don't deserve anyone like you, I don't deserve to be alive. I should have died in that tunnel, I should have killed myself so I wouldn't cause so much pain to everyone."

I felt something land down on my cheek and looked up to see Blake with her own tears pouring from her eyes. Then Blake did the one thing I least expected, she reached down and with softly placed her lips on mine and kissed me.

Then just as quickly as it happened Blake backed up and threw her hand across my face turning my cheek bright red from the slap before she started yelling at me. "Don't you ever talk like that 't you ever say you should be dead or that you should kill yourself? I would never forgive you for such a thing. I love you and seeing you die has already hurt me enough that I almost joined you." Blake reached down and grabbed her pant and pulled them off and I began to cry harder seeing the red line s running across her inner thigh.

"You dying was the worst pain I ever felt. You were the one thing I loved most in this world and I thought I say you die right in front of me. You pushed me out of the way so I could live but I couldn't not without you. I tried so many times to join you but I couldn't, every time by some unknown fate I would get caught and I am so thankful for that. If not I would never be able to see you again."

Blake reached down to my neck and grabbed the silver chain and slipped it over my head and pulled the silver ring from the chain before sliding it onto her finger. "The thing regretted the most was never telling you my answer. I regret it more than the people I hurt while in the White Fang. I'm sorry I never I do. I love you and nothing would have made me happier than to have married you."

I couldn't pull my eyes away from the ring that was now wrapped around Blake's finger. I never got to ask Blake if she would marry me and I too regretted it. But here she was wearing the very ring I made for her and she was also saying she would have said I do and have become my wife. Here I was the most undeserving person hearing the two words they'd been waiting to hear their entire life. I didn't deserve this.

"Blake please stop, I don't deserve you. I don't deserve to be happy and have people that love me. I should be placed in a cage and locked away." Blake grabbed me by my neck and pulled me into another kiss this one more intense than the other. I could feel Blake put everything thing she had into it and it was overwhelming.

Blake broke the kiss and grabbed my hand slipping the gold ring onto my ring finger. "Ruby out of all the people in the world you deserve this the most. You were almost killed taken away from everything you knew and loved but you found your way back. You fought for tooth and nail not only to save yourself but two beautiful girls who now have someone they can call family. You deserve to be happy after having everything taken from you. I love you and I never want to be apart from you ever again. You are my soulmate and it makes me the happiest person alive to become Blake Rose. I want to marry you and be together forever, I want to help you raise those two beautiful girls. All you have to do is answer one simple question. "Will you marry me?"

With every word, Blake spoke my heart skipped a beat and when she asked me the question I wish 'I could have asked her it stopped entirely. I tried in all my power to say no but it would never happen. I loved Blake and she loved me, she even loved my kids that had no relation to either of us. She was everything I wanted and somehow I was the same for her. The only thing that I could say was. "I do."

This time I reached forward and kissed Blake as she let out a cry of joy as tear fell down her face. I will never stop believing that I don't deserve her but other than my kids Blake was my world and nothing was going to stop me from living for her.

The single kiss I enacted turned into multiple kisses with each of us trying to make up more than three years of lost time. Quickly our tongues began exploring each other mouth until we both had to break apart or risk passing out. Blake started kissing my cheek and slowly moved down my neck and I couldn't help but moan "I love you" as she bit down on my neck.

Blake worked her way back up my neck before softly kissing me on the lips. She let out a sigh and flopped down next to me on the bed. I slid down next to Blake and cuddle into her warmth feeling as if our bodies were designed to be with one another.

We both stayed like this in each other's arms and I could feel my body begin to drift off to sleep but just as all goods things end so was this. A knock echoed from the door and Blake sighed as she got up from bed but not before kissing me once more. I turned over and watch ed as Blake pulled on the pants she had taken off before and opened the door to the room.

Blake held the door open just enough so that only she could see who was at the door. Blake tried to close the door while shouting "She doesn't' want or need to see you right now." I shot up in bed as the door was forced open and Blake was pushed out of the way. Qrow walked through the open door and moved straight for me. I froze solid as Qrow picked me up and pulled me into a hug.

"Ruby I know you hate me and I deserve every drop of it but please hear me out. I never meant to hurt you, I wanted you to have a family that loved you and could give you something stable. I was everything but stable but I was also a fool to never tell you the truth. I have made a lot of mistakes in my life and never being able to tell my daughter I loved her will always be the biggest. I will never be able to make those long years but I will not stand by as my daughter is in pain. I have loved you and will always love you just as I loved your mother. You are my world and I will always love you, Ruby."

Qrow's grip on me never faltered as I fought against him. How could he be sorry for what he did? He abandoned me and lied about who he was, about who I was. I hated him for it and he was sorry. I lifted my arm to throw another punch but stopped as I noticed a tattoo on his shoulder. One that I never knew existed, I used all the force I had and pushed Qrow back from me and grabbed the collar of his shirt and ripped it open and stared blankly at the five dates tattooed into his shoulder. Each tattoo was of varying age and I knew each of them by heart. "Qrow why do you have those?"

I yelled at Qrow and he looked down at his shoulder and then back at me with tears in his eyes. "These are the five most important dates in my entire life. The first was the day I met your mother and the two of us became partners. The second is the day you were born. The third is the day I lost your mother and the fourth is the day I lost you. The fifth is the day I got my daughter back. These are the days that I will never forget because they are both the worst and the happiest days of my life. Ruby when I said you were my world I meant it, I've wanted to say to my daughter that I loved her my entire life. I tried to stay away but you mean too much to me. I just want my daughter to be happy."

Qrow was the person I should be hating the most right now but with everything, he said I could find nothing to hate. I may have never known him as my father but he never abandoned me. Qrow was always there for me when I needed him and I couldn't hate him. I ran up to him as if I was a little kid and wrapped my arms around him.

Qrow returned the hug and I cried into his shoulder just as I'd done before with Blake. A warmth filled my chest that was so unfamiliar but comforting at the same time. I cried harder as Qrow softly whispered. "I love you my little rose into my ear."

In a matter of a half an hour, everything around me seemed to change. The woman I loved the most in this world was once again mine and I'd made up with my father. Everything felt so out of place but I was happy for the first time in a long time.

The stress of everything finally began to takes its toll on me and my consciousness began to slip until the blackness around the edges of my eyes filled my vision and sleep took me away from the world of the living.


	14. 14

**POV Blake**

I watched as two little figures darted behind the couch then four black ears and silver eyes popped up on the side staring at me intensely as I mixed the contents of the bowl in front of me together. Another flash of movement caught my eye as the figures moved closer again this time peeking out from the kitchen island. I stopped mixing the bowl and carried it over towards the oven and began to divide then place the contents on the baking tray before sliding it into the oven.

Once it was closed the two figure darted out from their hiding spot and lunged for the bowl they thought I had abandoned. Summoning a shadow clone I caught the two figures mid-air while the clone picked up the bowl and held it out of reach. The figures let out a yell as I pulled them away from the kitchen and collapsed on the couch in the nearby living room.

"What do you two think you're doing? I said you were not allowed to eat the raw cookie dough." I held the two girls underneath me and pulled up their shirts exposing the little belly's and went to work tickling them as much as I could. Kita and Aria squealed underneath me and began to wriggle their way out trying to escape from the torture they were experiencing. Laughing myself I scooped the girls back up in my arms and gave them a nice big bear hug that Yang would have been proud of.

I loosened my grip on the girls and looked them both in the eye smiling at their cuteness. "Now I know I said no eating the cookie dough but I used two spatulae so how about I let you lick them clean, you just have to keep it a secret from Mommy. Got it?" The twins quickly shook their heads and I put them down on the ground and turned to the kitchen to retrieve the bowl from where my shadow clone was still holding. I froze when I saw that my shadow clone was gone and in its place stood the person we had just been talking about.

"I see you promised the girls they could like the spatulae even though I explicitly said they couldn't!" Ruby reached into the bowl with one finger and ran it along the edge gathering some of the leftover dough before popping it in her mouth.

The twins ran past me and slammed into Ruby's leg both shouting out "Mommy!" Ruby placed the bowl down and picked up the two girls, one in each of her arms. The two girls snuggled into the embrace and each let out a purr displaying their affection towards their mother. Ari leaned back and pointed towards me before saying. "Mommy Blake said we could lick the spatula. She promised."

Ruby kissed the small girl on the head then placed them both back onto the ground before grabbing the bowl. "Now I know Blake promised you could lick the spatula but she also promised that you wouldn't get any deserts before dinner. So how are we going to do this and not break any promises?"

The two girls looked sad thinking that they would not be allowed to eat the cookie dough, the only thing that came close to their love for cookies. Kita ran over to me and grabbed my leg and pushed her lip out and made her eyes grow wide. This was the ultimate tactic that Kita and Ari had come up with to gain their way. Ruby was usually immune to such an attack thanks to her own use of it when she was younger but I wasn't. It had taken months for me to be able to say no to Ruby during our time at Beacon. The twins being younger were therefore also cuter and almost impossible to say no to.

I looked at Ruby who had a wide smile on her face as she watched me struggle to even form words against the bundle of adorableness before me. I let out a sigh and turned back to Kita who had even been able to add a twinkle in her eyes to add to her sad kitten look. "I did promise you guys you could lick the spatula but I also can't break the promise I made to Mommy. So how about this we order some pizza and once we finish eating it I will let you lick the spatula."

Kita automatically turned to her sister who gave her a nod in approval of the deal before jumping through the air wrapping her arms around me. "Oh thank you thank you thank you!" Ari scrambled down from Ruby's arms and ran behind me and jumped up onto me squishing me between the two girls.

Ari continued to climb up my back until she was resting on my shoulders before leaning in close to my to cat ears atop my head. I knew what she was trying to do and made sure to reminder what would happen. "Ari don't you dare, you know if you do it becomes all-out war!"

I caught Ari in the corner of my eye as she leaned in closer I let out a low growl but it only seemed to push her closer. Then Ari took in a quick breath and blew right into my left ear canal making my ears twitch from the strange sensation. I let out a fake angry yell and grabbed both Kita and Ari with one swoop of my arms and dragged them down with me to the ground.

The twins squirmed in my grasp but couldn't do anything as I placed a hand on each of their chests and held them in place. I let out a maniacal laughter and leaned in close to them. "Oh, you two deserve this!" Mimicking the same action Ari did I leaned up to Ari's ear and took in as big as a breath I could muster and blew a cool stream of air into her cat ear.

Ari let out a squeal of laughter and began to wiggle under me trying to free herself from the torture she was receiving. Finally, once all the air in my lungs were gone I released my grip on Ari and let her off the ground while her chest heaved up and down from all the laughter. I turned over to Kita who faces light up in fear. "Wait why me I didn't do anything!"

"That's just the thing you didn't do anything." I leaned in again up to Kita's ear but before I could do anything Ari slammed into my back pushing me off of Kita who scrambled off the ground and joined her attack against me. Ari latched onto my arm while Kita clung to my leg trying to keep me on the ground. Even with the extra weight I quickly got off the ground and stood up causing the girls to let out a squeal. Kita let go of my leg and mimicked Ari by moving over and grabbing hold of my free arm. Both girls tried to use their weight to their advantage and hung off my arm trying to pull down.

With a loud playful yell, I lifted the girls into the air with ease from the years as a Huntress while the girls clung on for dear life. Once they were eye level with me I let my arms fall then stop just before the girl hit the ground causing them to fall quickly then jolt to a stop. The girls started laughing as I continued to bring them up and down again and again. Slowly their arms began to grow tired and their grip began to slip, Ari was the first one to fall off as she tried to latch on again until her sister fell right on top of her.

If either of the girls had been like most kids they would have hit the ground and started crying but Ruby had already unlocked their aura's seeing that it would be safer with everything that had and was still going on. When the twins' heads bumped together they started laughing while the soft grey color swam around their body. Once they both learned what their aura's were capable of they went and got into more trouble than I could imagine. Who thought that giving kids superpowers wouldn't lead to them jumping off the two-story roof of our house.

Somehow for their age, they also had a ridiculous amount of aura one that would continue to grow with them. The other interesting part was being twins somehow their aura seemed to feed off each other and were more powerful together. Ruby had talked to Ozpin and even Qrow about this and it turns out that it is a very common occurrence in twins. During their time spent together in the womb during development, twins form a bond between their auras that can affect one another. Qrow and his twin Raven were a prime example of this, Qrow semblance was bad luck causing harm to people around him. However with Raven around his semblance would only affect the things he wished it to. For Ari and Kita we could not tell what their bond would bring them in the future but seeing its power now who knew how strong it could be.

I watched as rose petals flew through the room and Ruby popped into view with two pizza boxes in hand. In the entire time, I'd been playing with the kids I hadn't even noticed that Ruby had left but it came as no surprise. With Ruby and the twins living in the apartment with the rest of Team RWBY, we learned very quickly that it was too small. Ozpin was kind enough to let us be the first to move into one of the houses built during Beacon's expansion.

Beacon had changed drastically over the years going from only a combat school, then to the hunter headquarters in addition. It came naturally that with the number of Hunters that spend a large amount of time at Beacon that living quarters would be added. This was only the start as people soon required needs that Beacon could not supply and stores came to fill those needs. In little more than five years after the fall, Beacon had transformed itself from a combat school into a small town that was still expanding.

Though Ozpin had allowed us to live in a house and the rent was cheap it was not much bigger than the apartment we had been in. The main floor consisted solely of the kitchen, living room, dining room and half bathroom. Upstairs were three bedrooms including the master with its own full bathroom. Since moving in Ruby and I chose to share the master after the resurrection of our relationship. Kita and Ari were inseparable and chose to share a room together but most night the girls would crawl into the large king size bed in the master. The final room was left as a guest room for whoever chose to visit.

Yang and Weiss visited regularly but both chose to stay in the apartment we had been living in. Weiss constantly came back and forth between Beacon and Atlas trying her best to run the SDC and be with us. Luckily for her, the SDC had become self-running thanks to the new management system she had set into place. Now that Faunus were allowed to take management rolls problems with riots became nonexistent and all of the SDC's competition seemed to disappear causing Faunus rights began to boom all over Remnant. It seemed that seeing what was regarded as the most racist company turn into the most progressive changed a lot of viewpoints. Sure racists were everywhere but the Faunus didn't have to be scared when they went out in public as much as before.

When Weiss was away from the SDC she looked more alive than ever. Working the corporate life was never something she wanted to do but it was not her choice to make. Weiss took the job from her father and decided to end the SDC's legacy he had created and start a new one. The public began to catch onto Weiss and the time she spent away trying to question her dedication to the SDC. Weiss being the genius she was told the press she became a Hunter before she became the president of the SDC and that she would not stop doing the thing she loved. After that was when Weiss official became both a part-time Huntress and part-time President of the SDC. No one had the power or authority to stop her and that was the way she liked it.

Surprisingly with Weiss back Yang also became more alive, the two were about as inseparable as Kita and Ari and it wouldn't be a surprise if something came out of their relationship. Yang even returned to arena fighting quickly running to the top of the leaderboards. During the Vytal festival if not for the trick played on Yang she would have been the one to go to the championships. Now that she returned it was no surprise she quickly became the top pick for the remnant wide tournament.

As for Ruby and I, since she had been cleared by Ozpin to travel without a guard as long as she notified Ozpin with regular check-ins she was allowed to become a Huntress like she always wanted. It didn't take long for the public to learn about a new Huntress who could kill Grimm like they were nothing and even gave her the nickname Grimm Reaper. The press tried to pry into her life and some even learned about her disappearance but she never said a word and if they pried too much, all Ruby did was call Ozpin and have him step in.

Not only had Ruby become a huntress but she also became a proper mother, not that she wasn't before but now she could give Kita and Ari a true childhood. Unlike when she was with Salem they could go outside and play with other kids and explore the world rather than being locked inside a room. Ruby would never be the same girl she was but seeing her running around the park chasing the twins in a game of tag always reminded me why I'd fallen in love with her.

"So are we gonna eat or are you just gonna stare at me with that dumb expression on your face." Ruby placed the pizza down on the table then walked over stopping just in front of me, thanks to her growth during her time away Ruby stood just an inch taller than me just slightly higher than eye level. Ruby leaned in for a kiss and I closed my eyes leaning in myself just as our lips were about to reach Ruby flicked me in the nose.

I slowly opened my eyes and watched as Ruby walked away with a smirk on her face while the twins laughed at what had just happened. I stared directly at the girls with a playful angry look in my eye. The girls let out an 'eep' and tried to run away from me but I ran after them scooping them up into my arms with a roar. "What you think that was funny? I'll show you something funny!"

With the girls in my arms, I swung them back and forth as laughter filled my ears. As I got closer to the dining room I slowed down holding them both above a chair and dropped them down onto it. With both girls sitting down I grabbed the pizza box and paper plates and put one in front of each girl before opening the pizza box. When I saw the pizza I was slightly perplexed at what the hell Ruby had bought. "Ruby what did you buy?"

Ruby walked around the table and placed two cups of juice in front of the girls before looking down to the pizza I'd opened. "Oh that's a pizza that Jaune recommended, he said it was the house special. It's called a chicken waffle pizza."

I looked at the pizza and realized that it did indeed have pieces of waffle, chicken and even some bacon on it. Having spent so much time with Ruby it was no surprise she would buy something so...different. I grabbed the other pizza box and opened it up and was happy to see that it was a plain old cheese pizza. I grabbed one of the slices and placed it on my own plate and turned to the girls asking them what they wanted. "So which do you want? The weird pizza your mom bought or the normal pizza?"

The girls looked at each other with a grin and both turned back pointed at the chicken waffle pizza. I let out a sigh and grabbed both of them a slice putting it on their plate once my hand was clear the girls grabbed the pizza and took a surprisingly large chunk out of the pizza. I waited half expecting for at least one of them to spit out the food but instead once they finished the first bite they took an even bigger second bite with their faces filled with pure bliss.

"Really!" I threw my hands up in the air and fell down into the chair in disbelief, it still threw me off how much Ruby and the kids were alike even though they didn't share a single drop of blood. The twins just seemed to be her destined children and none of them cared, hell I don't think anyone who met them saw them as anything other than her kids. Sometimes I would forget that they weren't mine sometimes. In only six months of living with them it all came to feel so normal and I enjoyed every minute of it.

"Oh come on Blake stop sulking just because they like weird things. If I remember you have some strange obsessions yourself ones only I know about." Instantly my eyes flashed up to Ruby as my face blushed from her comment. "Ruby you wouldn't dare!"

Ruby laughed and flipped the pizza box so that it was facing me. "Oh, you don't have to worry about me telling the twins however I know Yang loves to gossip and even Weiss too. Now that I'm thinking about it Coco is supposed to be coming back into town from their mission. She invited me out for coffee and I know she loves to hear about others and their...habits. So if you want to keep it to yourself just try a bite."

I looked at Ruby and sighed in defeat even if her threat was empty it was not something I was gonna take a chance on. I grabbed one of the smaller pieces and brought it over to my mouth and took a bite. My mind took a second to catch up with my tastebuds but when they did I was surprised at how good it tasted. There wasn't really any way to describe the tastes because there were so many but the easiest way to describe it was a breakfast pizza. The pizza and waffle blended together while the bacon and chicken gave it a meaty flavor.

Before I knew it the pizza in my hand was gone and I reached out picking up another piece. When I looked while taking another bite Ruby flashed me a smile and I slowly finished chewing before locking my eyes with hers. "I hate you."

Ruby kept her cocky grin and responded with a quick "I know." before Ari started tugging on her arm. "Mommy why are we going to aunt Yang's tomorrow, I thought we were gonna go to the park!"

"I know sweetie and you still are but Mommy and Blake need to go see a doctor. Yang is going to take you and later we are all going to meet up and go out for dinner, and if you're good you can get dessert." Ari instantly perked up and started to ramble on about what type of ice cream or cookie she was gonna get and even tried to ask Kita but she didn't respond until she asked ruby a question. "Mommy why do you keep going to the doctors, every time you do, you come home sad!"

Ruby had her arms around Kita within a second giving her a hug. "I know you guys don't like it when I leave but because mommy has all her robotic parts she needs to see a doctor so they can work right. Now I don't want you guys to worry about me being sad tomorrow because I'm going for a good reason. The doctors finally finished making mommy a new eye and tomorrow I'm getting it put in. When you see me at dinner I won't have to wear this stupid eyepatch anymore."

For dramatic effect, Ruby grabbed onto the eye patch and pulled it away from her face then let it go launching it into her face. Kita and Ari both started laughing at the funny display lightening the mood almost instantly. I watched Ruby and I couldn't stop looking at her eyepatch, Ruby would often let her bangs fall over the eyepatch blocking it from view but her emblem on the front always had a way of pushing through the hair. I never liked seeing Ruby try and hide it from people but I could tell how much she hated it, it was the one scar she could hide with clothes.

I, on the other hand, thought that it added to the beauty she already had. Every cut, burn, gunshot wound and scar were apart of her and I could go as far as to say it made her hella sexy. I loved Ruby for who she had been and also who she had become and her hiding was always painful to watch. For a while, she had been trying to get the doctor to try and fix any part of her. Weiss had been dumb enough to tell her about the SDC's advancement into synthetic body parts that could be used to replace lost limbs.

Ruby fought every doctor she saw but every result was the same, it seemed that due to the damage her nerves had been replaced and would no longer be compatible with a synthetic arm. The only headway she had been able to make was that she could have her eye replaced with a cloned one. The doctors had spent hours running test and it seemed that the optic nerve was still intact and could be used.

When Ruby had heard this she instantly signed every paper she needed to and scheduled for the surgery. That was two weeks ago and tomorrow was the day she was waiting for. It was going to be a three-hour noninvasive surgery in which doctors would disconnect her optic nerve and reconnect it to her new eye. I tried to learn more about how it worked but seeing as how new the procedure was and how little medical knowledge I had I couldn't understand all of it.

"Well seeing as it's late and you two made a mess how about we go upstairs and give you two a bath!" I pulled myself out of my thoughts and watched as the twins let out a little "eep" and jumped out of their seats trying to hide from bath time. It came as no surprise that with their Faunus heritage that they would have a distaste for water at a young age even if they had a fondness for going to the beach.

Ruby didn't give either girl a chance and activated her semblance scooping up each girl into her arms. Kita and Ari tried to wiggle their way free but Ruby held them with practiced ease. I quickly grabbed the remains of the pizza and put them in the fridge before cleaning up the rest of the plates on the table.

By the time I made it upstairs the bath was fully drawn with a foot of bubbles on top of the water. Kita and Aria were already in the tub playing with the bubbles while Ruby tried to wash the girl's hairs trying to keep them still. "Hey, Blake you want to give me a hand."

I smiled at Ruby and took the open spot next to her and grabbed the shampoo bottle. "Ari come here I need to wash your hair." In the span of half a second Ari disappeared into the mass of bubble filling up the large tub trying to hide from me. "Really Ari we've been over this if I don't wash your hair you get matts that I have to cut out."

I heard a small giggle from the middle of the bath and I pretended to look away before throwing my arm all the way up to the shoulders into the mass of bubbles. My hands wrapped around Ari and I pulled her up to the surface while giving her a quick tickle. "What do you think you're doing? Did you think you could hide from me I'm the bath time queen and nobody escapes my cleanliness."

I grabbed the bottle of shampoo and poured a dollop into my hand then started to rub it into Ari's hair. "You will fear the wrath of the bathtub queen!" A let out a maniacal laugh while Aria squirmed in a fit of laughter while a washed her hair. Once I shampooed her enough I grabbed the little bucket and filled it up with water and dumped it onto her head while covering her eyes. Once I was done I declared my victory with one final laugh.

"The queen is victorious and all shall kneel before her!" I scooped Ari out of the tub and grabbed one of the big fluffy towels wrapping it around her body. I held the sides and quickly started drying her body off then moved onto her hair trying to get rid of as much wetness as I could. When I pulled the towel off her I laughed as all of her shoulder-length black hair stood up in all directions. I grabbed a cone and quickly started running it through her hair being careful not to pull too hard on the knots instead slowly easing them out.

Once I was done I scooped Ari backup and carried her to the bedroom and threw her onto the small bed she called her own. I ran over to the dresser and pulled out some underwear and her pajamas and placed them on the end of the bed. "Ok, I'm gonna go check on mommy and Kita so while I do that get changed and get ready for bedtime."

Ari gave a quick "Ok" and jumped off the bed and started to pull on her pajamas while I stepped into the hallway then over into the master bathroom. I watched as Ruby finished drying off Kita and combed her hair. Once she was done she gave her a quick smack on the but and told her to go get changed. Ruby crouched down over the tub and reached in pulling the stopper out letting the water drain. I started picking up the towels and hung them back on their respective hooks.

I noticed Ruby wasn't paying attention and slowly moved over to the bath scooping up some of the remaining bubbles. I silently crept up behind her holding up my hand in front of my mouth. "Hey Ruby!" upon hearing her name Ruby spun around I blew on the bubbles pushing them right into her face. Ruby jumped in surprise and wiped the bubbles off her face while I laughed at the expression she made. Ruby let out a growl and tried to grab me but I left behind a shadow clone that she passed right through before hitting the floor.

"Sorry Ruby but I promised the girls they could lick the spatula, can you go wait with the girls. I'll be back soon, love ya!" Without another word I sprinted down the stairs into the kitchen and grabbed the bowl that had the cookie dough in it. I pulled the two spatulas out of the almost empty bowl and made sure there was enough on the spatula that they got a treat but not too much that it would upset their stomachs.

With the spatula in hand, I walked up the stairs and over towards their girl's room. I'd known Ruby long enough that I could tell she was waiting to get revenge for my little prank. I slowly poked my head in the door but the second I did stuffed animals came soaring across the room. I managed to dodge the first and second but the third smacked right into my face, it wasn't enough to do anything to me but it caused the three little nuisances in the room to burst into laughter. "Oh ha ha ha, you know I'm the one holding the treats in my hand. I hold all the power. Now, what are you gonna do to get back on my good side."

The twins both let out an "eep" looking at each other in fear of missing their favorite thing in all the world. I gave a quick motion to Ruby and the two girls grabbed one of the many stuffed animals on their beds and this time hurled them at their mother. Ruby didn't expect this and took the first to the gut and the second to the face. I walked right up to her and smiled right in her face. "Never underestimate the power I hold." To finish it off I gave her a quick peck on the lips and walked to the twins handing them each a spatula.

Once the spatula was gone from my hand both girls went to town licking off every speck of cookie dough on the utensil and in less than thirty seconds it was as clean as if it had just come out of the dishwasher minus the fact that it had just been in their mouths. Noticing they were done Ruby collected the utensil and set them aside to be taken downstairs when we were done. "Ok know what bedtime story do you guys want today?"

Ruby picked up a book and showed it to the girls but both of them shook their heads not happy with the choice. Ruby continued to show one book after another each getting the same result finally once she had shown them the last book she sighed in defeat. "Ok obviously you guys don't want a story, so what do you want?"

Kita looked at Ari who gave her a nod before asking. "We want Mommy to sing us the song that you like!"

Ruby put all the books back then sat at the end of Ari's bed. "If that's what you wanted then sure I'll sing to you."

Before Ruby could start Ari jumped up and grabbed ruby arm stopping her while shouting. "No not you, we want Blake to sing!"

I was taken back by this not because they had asked me to sing but because that had requested that Mommy sing. To the girls, Ruby was their mother and I was something they didn't quite understand. Ruby had explained to the girls that we were dating but to a child, it was a foreign concept. Ruby and I hadn't even told them about our plans to get married. For them to even mention I was even close to being on the same level of affection as Ruby caused my heart to skip a beat. "Are you guys sure I'm not that good!"

Kita bounced across her bed over to me and grabbed my hand pulling me over to her. "Please you have such a pretty voice and we never get to hear you sing, you only do it for mommy!"

"Ok fine but you two need to lay down, also I don't know that many songs and they're kinda sad but if you really want me to." Both girls quickly shook their heads and crawled underneath the covers ready for the song. "Ok, here it goes!"

 _ **I'm so tired of being here**_

 _ **Suppressed by all my childish fears**_

 _ **And if you have to leave**_

 _ **I wish that you would just leave**_

 _ **'Cause your presence still lingers here**_

 _ **And it won't leave me alone**_

 _ **These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real**_

 _ **There's just too much that time cannot erase**_

 _ **When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears**_

 _ **When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears**_

 _ **And I held your hand through all of these years**_

 _ **But you still have all of me**_

 _ **You used to captivate me by your resonating light**_

 _ **Now, I'm bound by the life you left behind**_

 _ **Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams**_

 _ **Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me**_

 _ **These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real**_

 _ **There's just too much that time cannot erase**_

 _ **When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears**_

 _ **When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears**_

 _ **And I held your hand through all of these years**_

 _ **But you still have all of me**_

 _ **I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone**_

 _ **But though you're still with me, I've been alone all along**_

 _ **When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears**_

 _ **When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears**_

 _ **And I held your hand through all of these years**_

 _ **You still have all of me, me, me**_

I let out a deep breath when I was done and looked at the girls who were both wide-eyed. I didn't know what they were thinking but I didn't have to wait long before they gave me a response. "That was so pretty...but why is the song so sad."

"Well that's a pretty tough question, the song is sad because it's about someone who's been hurt and is all alone. The singer is trying to help them even though they aren't getting better. But it's also about how someone can be a hero by just being there for someone. I like this song because it reminds me why I became a Huntress, I wanted to change the world and make it a better place for everyone but it also reminds me that the smallest things can change the world for a single person."

Ruby gave each girl a kiss as they both yawned and tried to rub the tiredness from their eyes. "I want you both to remember that you don't have to fight monster to be a hero, all you have to do is help others when they need it. Even if it's just helping someone when they fall down or are sad. I love you both and I want you to always remember that!"

Ruby turned off the lamp between the two beds and stood up to leave the room but stopped when Ari said something in her half-conscious state. "What about...'yawn'...Blake?"

Ruby looked to me but I was already across the room giving each girl a kiss on the cheek. "I love both of you just as much as your mother loves you and I love her."

Ari softly mewed and turned in her bed clutching a small stuffed animal corgi in her arms before casing my heart to lurch once again. "I love both my mommy's."

I brought my hand up and slowly ran it through her hair pushing her bangs back so that I could kiss her one last time on the forehead. When I was done I followed Ruby out and into our own room. I headed straight for the closet and changed into my own pajamas when I stepped back into the room Ruby was already laying in bed. I pulled myself under the covers and clicked off the light next to me, Ruby instantly pulled herself closer and I wrapped an arm around her feeling the cold metal of her arm on my skin. "Can you sing that song for me again, I love hearing how beautiful your voice is."

Using my night vision I could clearly make out clearly see Ruby laying next to me. I pulled her closer resting my lips close to her ear then softly whispered. "Only if you promise to never leave me!"

Ruby moved her head into my shoulder her warm breath feeling like fire on my bare skin. Then just as lightly as I had whispered she responded. "I promise."

Keeping Ruby close to me I took in a slow deep breath and softly sang to her.


	15. 15

**I do wish to apologize for how long this chapter took to come out but here it is completed ready for your eyes. I do plan to get back into either a bi-weekly or weekly schedule but that depends on somethings. Lastly, I would like to thank those who messaged me about the story there were a good number of you and I really do appreciate it.**

 **POV RUBY**

"Now be careful and open your eye very slowly your brain hasn't had a connection with an eye for years and it may take some time to adjust especially to light. I've also prescribed you some eyedrops in case your eye gets dry. This should no longer happen after a few days but it may still get dry from time to time."

Slowly the doctor removed the gauze patch over my eye and allowed me to slowly open it. When my eyelid opened enough to let light in it felt like I was staring at the sun and quickly slammed it shut. "Remember to take it slow, the light will hurt for a moment but you need to let your eye adjust."

I did as the Doctor said and once again opened my eye just as slowly as before but this time I didn't close it but kept going. Once my eye was fully open I tried looking around but everything was still so bright. I slowly blinked and found my eye was extremely dry and it hurt slightly. The doctor handed me the bottle before I could even ask for them. I quickly pulled the cap off the bottle and let the drops land on my eye. I blinked a few time letting the liquid spread over my eye and the relief was almost instantaneous.

When I looked back around my eye had already adjusted to the light and I could now see clearly. I might sound crazy saying this but there is a huge difference between one and two eyes, the biggest being depth perception. "Wow, everything is...I can't really explain it but it feels so far away."

The doctor laughed and pulled up a chart on the wall before walking over to me with a small paddle in his hand. "Yes, that would be your depth perception having returned to you. It may seem strange but it is going to help you in the long run. Now if you would please read the line of words as far as you can, I will stop you when it's needed."

The doctor placed the paddle over my right eye and I looked and began reading off the rows of letters. It was fairly easy at first since the letter was so large, I kept going until I read off the last letter on the final line and was surprised when the Doctor didn't say anything. "So did I do ok?"

The doctor looked at me then the board then let out a sigh. Ms. Rose, I don't know what luck we had but somehow your eyesight is more than perfect. Most people who go through this procedure have 20/35 vision meaning what normal people see at 20 feet they see at 35. You, on the other hand, see things at twenty feet that people see at ten. Seeing the ease you had I wouldn't be surprised if was even better than that.

The Doctor walked over to a table and quickly jotted down something on his scroll before returning to me and gave me two slips of paper. "I've prescribed you a months worth of eye drops and a week of pain meds. Those are only to be used if you get a headache or any neck pain caused by your eye. If this does happen after a week I want you to come back so that I can make sure nothing is wrong. Other than that I believe that nice raven-haired woman is waiting for you outside."

The doctor held out his hand and I took it giving him a quick thanks before opening the door and walked into the waiting room. I quickly spotted Blake sitting in one of the far chairs with a book in hand. I slowed my pace and stopped a few feet in front of her trying to calm my nerves with a deep breath. "So how do I look?"

Blake's eyes locked with mine as a tear rolled down her cheek. The book in her hand hit the ground as she jumped out of her chair and wrapped her arms around my neck and planted a kiss on my lips. "You look as beautiful as the day I first met you!"

This time I was the one who kissed Blake before pulling back looking her in the eye. "Are you sure about that I mean I lost some parts and picked up some nasty scars. I don't really think I'm as good looking as I used too."

Blake let go of me and flicked me as hard as she could on the nose. "Hey what was that for?"

"That was for being an idiot. No matter what happens to you I will always think your beautiful, you may be different but to me, that changes nothing. Every mark on you is part of your story and you should never be afraid to show them to me. Plus in the past, I thought you were extremely cute and beautiful. I still think that but now those scars make you hella sexy!"

This time when Blake went in for the kiss it was filled with a spark that went through my entire body igniting the flame inside me. The kiss went on for a few seconds but Blake pulled back and gave me a smile. "I love you but I don't think it's ok if we make out in the middle of a waiting room, plus Yang and Weiss are currently at the park with Kita and Ari and I know they're waiting for you."

"Hm, I think your right but don't think you're getting off easy after that little interaction. I may just have to let Yang take the twins this weekend." Blake's eyes grew wide as I gave a little smirk then flicked her on the nose before heading to the door leaving her in a dazed state. By the time I made it to the elevator Blake had caught up but was a little flustered.

"So what is it like now?" I looked at the wall and took a second to think before I gave Blake an answer. "Everything is clearer than before, I can truly see everything unlike before."

 **POV YANG**

"Kita come on that's not fair how are you even doing that?" I ran after Kita and watched as she disappeared up one slide and came barreling down the other with a huge smile on her face. "Come on Aunty Yang try and catch us!"

I let out another frustrated growl as Kita ducked around the playground and this time appeared on top of the playground. I grabbed onto the ladder and quickly pulled myself up but was too late as Kita slid down the slide. Not even thinking I jumped off the top and landed a few feet from Kita and turned to her as she tried to run up a tree. Being so nimble she scaled the branches with ease before setting on a branch thirty feet off the ground.

"Ok, this game of tag is so unfair! How am I supposed to tag you if you're all the way up there? Plus that seems a little unsafe." Kita giggled and stuck out her tongue before flipping upside down on the branch holding onto the branch with her legs.

"You know I would love to see her go into the ring with you, I don't think you would stand a chance!" Weiss walked over to me Ari next to her holding her hand.

"Seeing that Ruby would kill me if there was so much as a mark on her I agree with what you said. Now the only question is how am I going to get her down?" I felt a tugging on my leg and looked down at Ari seeing that she was the cause of it."

"If you want I can help, Kita may be fast but so am I." I quickly crouched down and motioned for her to come closer and she did. "How about this if you get her down then I promise to bring you one of the big lollipops that you mom hates!"

I held up my pinky and Ari wrapped her on around it making the promise official. I watched as she let go and ran for the tree and began to climb up it with just as much ease as her sister. "How is Ari supposed to get Kita out of the tree. I mean it's not like she can drag her out!"

I kept watching as Ari was closing the distance between her and the Branch Kita was on. "Well you should never underestimate the power of an older sister, Me and Ruby used to do the same thing and it always worked out, well except for the time Ruby broke her arm or when I broke my leg then when both chipped a tooth."

By now both girls were hanging off the same branch which looked a little small to hold both of them. "Yang can ask you something." I gave a quick nod trying to let my eye go away from the twins. "How did you two usually get hurt?"

I took a second to think about all the time Ruby and I had hurt ourselves and most of them pointed to one thing. "Well, most of the time we were climbing stuff and screwing around until one or both of us fell!" I grew wide-eyed and both of us ran towards the tree knowing what was about to happen.

As if on cue the branch the twins were on began to crack and pull away from the tree. Kita and Ari were oblivious to this and when it finally broke they were both totally clueless of what happened until they were hurtling towards the ground. Just as the girls were about to hit the ground Yang and I snagged the girls out of the air stopping the inevitable bone from breaking. The girls were both wide-eyed but not as much as they were when a very angry woman began yelling.

"AKITA ELLIOTT AND ARIANA LYNN ROSE WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING!" Walking towards the four of us was a very upset Ruby and an equally confused Blake behind her. "I've been gone for a few hours and I come back to the two of you falling 30 feet out a tree. Do you not remember what I said?"

Both of the girls looked at each other in shame with their eyes towards the ground, Kita and Ari both spoke at the same time doing their weird twin things. "You said to make sure our aura was active and to always be safe." Ruby gave a nod then walked over to the girls patting them on the head. "You should also remember to always land in a cool way that way you look like a superhero."

"Wait what the hell! You come barreling in here yelling and the next thing s your doing is giving the pointers on how to look cool when falling. This doesn't make any sense." I threw my hands up in defeat as Aria and Kita jumped down from our arms and ran back over the playground chasing each other.

"Well, Yang if you do remember Mom said something like that too. All that matters is that they're being smart about it. Those two are a hundred times more indestructible than either of us where and we survived some dumb things. If the least I have to worry about is them falling out of a tree then something is clearly wrong. Plus Blake said their natural instincts take over in those types of situations. Unlike most parents, I've learned to trust my kids."

"Well I don't know when you became such a wise parent but as long as I'm not in trouble it doesn't matter. Leaving that behind how did everything go, they give you a kickass new eye?" Ruby let out a sigh and pulled the band out of her face showing the long scar that traveled from the middle of her cheek all the way through her eye and up to her forehead. In place of the eyepatch, she used to wear was an eye identical to the other not a single thing about it was out of place." Damn Ruby if I never knew you lost your eye I would never know."

Ruby laughed and dropped her bangs back in front of her face covering up her scar and eye in the process. Even if she had her eye back the scar was still there and she wasn't going to let it show. Ruby may be strong but she didn't want people looking at her scars since they reminded her of a dark time. "Well thank you for watching the girls but I'm tired and need to take them home plus I still have to cook dinner."

"Well we are going back to your house but it's not so you can cook dinner. We have a surprise and there is no way you're getting out of it especially since you have to go home." Ruby expression changed to that of someone who was very annoyed and it was clear why.

"Yang I don't really want to deal with this now, I have to be up early so I can get to the conference tomorrow. I've been waiting six months for this and nothing is even close to being as important. Hell if it was possible I would already be there waiting for it to start." Ruby's face was growing red as she waved her arms around in frustration not understanding anything that was going on. It wasn't Ruby's fault for being clueless that was because none of us wanted to inform her of our true intent.

"Ruby I don't care what's happening tomorrow, right now you're going home with all of us. Neither heaven or hell is going to stop me from dragging you back. Now get in Weiss's limo or I will force you into it right in front of your children."

The threat seemed to work as Ruby grumbled a curse under her breath and started walking towards the snow white limo that had just pulled up on the side of the road. Weiss grabbed the girls from the playground and all six of got in heading back towards their home.

 **POV RUBY**

"I still don't understand what any of this is about, I can't think of one thing that calls for all this secrecy. Sure I got a new eye but it's not even that important." I continued to complain the entire way home and even as we pulled up into our driveway and I got out of the car. Blake tried to calm me down the entire way but it wasn't working, I hated it when I didn't know something and it was helping my anxiety about tomorrow.

"Mamma, can I hold your hand?" Ari jumped out of the limo and ran over to me holding out her hand so that I could take. "Sure you can sweety! I'm sorry about me being upset you know how much I don't like secrets."

Ari put her hand into mine and began to slightly swing her arm back and forth as we walked towards the front door while I fished the keys out of my pockets. I caught Blake doing the same as I was her own hand locked around Kita's. "It's ok Mommy, secrets can be mean and it's not nice to lie to people. You said it's always best, to tell the truth, right?"

"Yes that's definitely true but secrets can also be good things. Sometimes you have a good secret you hide until it's the right time to tell someone. Those are the only times that it's ok to keep a secret. It's hard but it's the right thing to do!"

Ari wrapped herself around my arm and gave it a hug while slightly rubbing her cheek on my arm as a sign of affection. "Ok Mommy, I promise only to keep good secrets."

Ari went back to just holding my hand when we reached the door and I placed the key in the lock and opened the door to what I thought was an empty house. My instincts were going crazy as I stepped into the house reaching for the light switch on the wall. Something was clearly off and I reached under my jacket and wrapped my hand around the revolver I had in my holster. Blake had thought it was over the top to constantly carry a weapon with me at all times but it paid to keep my kids safe.

I pulled the .375 revolver out of its holster slowly reaching for the light switch in the darkness. When my hand touched the little switch I quickly flipped it while squinting my eyes to keep the light from blinding me and scanned the room as quickly as I could. Something shifted near the kitchen and I pointed the gun towards it.

I put my finger on the trigger getting ready to fire but hesitated hearing a voice coming from behind the kitchen island. "Hey Ruby, do you mind not pointing a gun at me I really don't want to be shot today."

The second I heard the voice all the muscles in my body relaxed and I let the gun fall down to my side. "Qrow what the hell are you doing in my house with all the lights off. I thought somebody broke in. Dear Oum I was going to shoot you!"

Qrow slowly stood up from behind the island with a goofy grin on his face and one of those cheap party hats on his head. I walked towards Qrow and placed the revolver back in my holster securing it in place. "Qrow what the hell is that on your head. You look like an idiot!"

"I know he looks like an idiot but please ruby if you're going to shoot my husband try and make sure it's easy to clean up. We don't want to spend too much time cleaning up." Winter walked towards me through the hallway dressed in a snow white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up the front opened up to show a grey t-shirt underneath and a pair of black skinny jeans.

"Thanks for reminding me Winter if you didn't mention it I would have made a pretty big mess." I stopped and looked back over Winter outfit and how casual it was. Qrow seemed to help Winter relax and unless she was on the job she no longer dressed to the nines in full uniform like she used to.

"Now where is everybody else I believe our sister and significant other are also supposed to be here not just the two little munchkins hiding behind the couch!" Kita and Ari squealed from behind the couch and tried to run away as Winter stalked over towards them. When they tried to jump out of her way she scooped them up into a big hug, which was nothing you would expect to see from a Schnee.

"You know every time I see her play with the twins Winter seems to release a side of her that nobody else sees. I would never have guessed how well she fit into the role." Qrow used his natural height to lean on to me but it was no longer as easy as when I was short. Since I'd grown surprisingly late in life Qrow was now only two to three inches taller. The distance was clear but it made it easier for me to push him off because it was hard to lean on something slightly shorter.

I grabbed Qrow's arm and lifted it off my shoulder and walked over to the front door when it opened as Weiss, Yang and Blake entered the house. "Where the hell did you three go and disappear to? I thought somebody broke into the house and almost blew Qrow's brains out. How do you explain to the cops how you blew your dad's brains out!"

"Well, I think it would be pretty hard." I shook my head at the remark but froze when the voice played back over in my head. It was a comment that Qrow would make but the problem was the voice that said it wasn't his.

My head began to hurt like it had months before when my memories first came back. The only time the pain ever came back was when something triggered the memories in my brain even though that I'd already remembered.

The pain hits it peak sending electricity through my head and down my spine making me cringe. Right after that, it was a complete shock to me when the pain faded as if it had never been there. It hadn't lasted more than a second but it was enough to remind me there were still things I needed to do and one of them was standing a few feet away.

I turned slowly and took a step back at the sight of the blonde man standing in the doorway of my home. My heart began racing as the man stepped inside making me move backward again.

"Ruby I...I'm...I really don't know what to say...I...I'm sorry that I let this happen. I'm sorry that I'm not the man you thought I was but...I loved your mother and I loved you...and...you will always be my daughter."

Those final few words made my head swim as I felt every inch of my body telling me to run even though I knew I was in no danger. Even though I knew this I followed my instincts and activated my semblance knowing that it was the easiest and quickest way to get away. By the time anybody realized what happened I was already at the door to the master bedroom upstairs locking it behind me.

Once everyone realized what happened footsteps echoed up the stairway as my name was called and someone banged on the door. I scrambled back across the floor until my back rested on the edge of my bed. I pulled my legs up to my chest but the second my hand felt the cold metal of my prosthetic everything began to flood back to me of the day IT happened.

The phantom pains began to return and I could feel the incurable itch of my lost limbs trying return to me. Fear flooded every sense of my body as the pain continued to build till it felt like fire was crawling through my veins. I reached out with my hand and tried to pry the prosthetic off, my finger reached one of the clasps on my leg and when I flipped it a new pain ran through my leg as one of the nerve connectors was released.

The pain was different from the other chasing the phantom one away and replaced it with real genuine pain. Reaching out again I grabbed the connector and pushed it back into place crying out from the pain but that was what I needed. I could feel the fear being driven away and my mind began to clear leaving me a sweat-soaked mess on my bedroom floor.

This was not the first time I had a panic attack and it wasn't going to be the last. Every time I remembered that night my mind would collapse on itself and the pain would come flooding back, things I never wanted to experience again. Every time it was the same feeling that closeness to death that terrified me.

As I continued to lay on the floor my breathing still raspy and erratic the pounding on the door continued to grow louder. It seemed as though no matter how they hit the door it didn't budge at all until the sound of a key slipping into the lock made me look up. The door slowly opened until there was just enough room and Blake slipped in closing the door behind her.

Once Blake saw me on the ground she ran over and scooped me up in her arms carry me over to the bed. My vision wavered as she placed me on the bed and ran to our bathroom grabbing a towel before coming back trying to rid my body of a large amount of sweat on it.

"Dear Oum Ruby I'm sorry I let this happen Yang...she..she wanted you to see him but she knew you wouldn't agree to it. I'm sorry I went behind your back and now your in pain because of me!"

I reached up with my hand and grabbed Blake's arm stopping her from freaking out like she was. "Blake it's not your fault it never was or will be...I just...I have so much trouble with those memories and...seeing him...they all came back...and I panicked. Please right now I just want to be with you...please!"

Blake seemed to calm down just as I had and her expression softened as she crawled into bed wrapping her arms around me. My body was drawn to Blake's and she cradled me as close to her body as possible. Blake slowly ran her hand through my hair just as she always did and began humming a song as she always did to comfort me. Fatigue began to build up in my body until I could no longer stand in its path and everything around me halted except for the comforting sound of Blake's voice.

When I next woke up hours had passed and the sun had fallen beneath the horizon leaving only the remnant of the moon to light the sky. I was still cradled in Blake's arms but not as tightly as before allowing me to slip out from the embrace without waking her.

Once I was free I stood up and tried to walk but stumbled when I put weight on my prosthetic. When I had tried to remove it earlier then reconnected it I had aggravated the nerves making my leg sensitive. I braced myself on the edge of the bed and used it to steady myself on both of my feet before trying to walk again. This time I had more success but walked with a limp making my movement speed significantly slower, hopefully, within an hour or two the problem would resolve itself like it usually did. I quietly slipped outside into the hallway and began to descend the stairs but froze hearing two voices in an intensive argument.

"Qrow I know what you're trying to say but how was I supposed to know any of this was going to happen. First I lose her then I get a call three months ago saying that she's back from the dead. I tried to see her as soon as possible but Yang and Ozpin refused to let me saying the time wasn't right. I've waited and I'm trying to be as calm as possible about this and your acting like I'm trying to hurt her for some reason!"

"Tai I'm not trying to blame for what happened that was Ruby's PTSD causing a panic attack caused by when she saw you. This isn't the first time it's happened but from how things went it wasn't as bad as the others. Ruby's the strongest woman I know but she's still fragile and you can't just come running back into her life know that she knows the truth. Summer and I may have done something stupid but Ruby is the best thing that has ever happened to me. If I could have I would have been there for her but I couldn't, by semblance would have killed her and everyone else around me. But we also can't forget how all this happened and not accept the blame."

I slowly began to limp down the rest of the stairs trying to keep my footsteps as quiet as possible so as to not alert them of my presence just yet.

"Qrow that may be true but even if she's yours I was the one who raised her after Summer died. I was the father and you were the Uncle. No matter what happens I will always see her as my daughter even though I have no blood relation. I may not have loved Summe as much as you did but I still loved her. I...I just want to see my daughter."

"Well then here I am!" Both men jumped in surprise as I stepped into the kitchen where they were having their conversation. I stopped in front of the fridge and pulled a beer before sitting down at the island and cracking it open.

"Ruby I...I'm sorry for before...I didn'...I didn't mean for that to happen. This was all supposed to go differently. Without anyone getting hurt." I leaned back in my chair and took a drink from my beer feeling the relief the cool liquid brought to my dry mouth.

"Tai..er Dad or whatever the hell I'm supposed to call you. What happened was and wasn't your fault. I've had a hard time with well dying and I panic every time I remember it happening. You showing up just triggered the memory and well...I panicked. I'm not upset with you for that reason but.."

"You're mad at me because I've been lying to you about who you were and the truth about everything. I knew this day would become and I was...am a fool for not planning for it. Ruby I always loved you just as if you were mine because you were my own."

"Yes you may see it that way but you forget that you didn't exactly raise me like you think you did. After Mom died you became a mess just like you always have and left Yang to raise me. It was cruel and unfair to put that responsibility on her, sure you eventually came back around but it should never have happened."

Tai was clearly taken back by this but the truth was he should have been. Tai still clearly saw me as the same child I was years ago but I've changed. I may still be that little girl but I'm also a mother, an assassin, a huntress and a full-grown woman.

"Ruby I know I screwed up and I'm sorry but I can't change the past, I just want to be here for you. I missed you and I just want to see you. Summer saved me once, then she was gone but I still had you and then you were gone too. It...it killed me inside just like it did Yang and Qrow. We are a pretty screwed up family...but I want to show you that you being my daughter is no lie."

"Yes well, you have nothing to prove to me the person you should apologize to is Yang. You stole her childhood from her when she was forced to take care of me. I don't care if you stay or go the person to decide that is Yang."

I quickly took another drink from my beer downing what was left of it before turning to go back upstairs but stopped to say one last thing. "To make it easy you're not going to be referred to as Uncle Tai so as not to confuse the twins. It was hard enough with trying to explain Winter being Grandpa's wife and Aunties sister. Those two girls are my world and trust me if something happens to them you will not just feel my wrath but also every heart those girls have touched."


End file.
